The SMS Lutzow was one of three excellent
Derfflinger Class battlecruisers built in
Germany. They were the last German battlecruisers
to be completed for service in WWI.
CLICK HERE FOR A HISTORY OF THE DERFFLINGER
CLASS
SMS Lutzow was heavily damaged at the Battle
of Jutland. With 116 men killed, and 7500
tons of flooding, it was felt that her chances
of returning to port were very slim. After
taking off the surviving crew, Admiral Hipper
ordered her to be scuttled .
The wreck lies 110 miles off the coast of
Denmark, in 144 feet of water. The wreck
is almost completely upside down, rolled
over on her port side, with the hull resting
on the conning tower and three turrets. The
fourth turret lies upside down, next to the
wreck. Part of the bow is broken off and
lies near the rest of the hull.
The vessel was salvaged in the 1960's by
a commercial firm that blasted the hull open
at the stern. Valuable non-ferrous metal
components were removed, leaving gaping holes
in the overturned hull. These allow a good
view into the exterior of the vessel.The
sea floor next to the wreck is littered with
12" shells, which spilled out as the
vessel rolled over. Condensers and other
engine equipment can be found nearby also,
left in place when the salvage was abandoned.
Other than the damaged stern, the vessel
is largely intact. The secondary guns are
still trained out, ready to fire at a long-gone
enemy. Range finders, port holes, and torpedo
tube doors were not removed, giving the diver
an impression of an intact vessel.
The bottom is sand, and the current is manageable.
Visibility ranges from less than 10 feet
on a stormy day (common in the North Sea)
to over 50 feet on a good day. Dive trips
are available from the Danish coast, and
are preferred to expeditions from Britain,
nearly 400 miles away. The wreck still contains
an estimated 111 bodies, and should be respected
as a war grave.
A view into the engine room.
12" shells
Shells and shell casings
