SMS König (Wreck)

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Battleship - König class

Commission: Ordered in August 1911 the König was built at Wilhelmshaven. She was launched on 1st March 1913 and completed on 10th Aug 1914.
History: The König was in the 3rd Battleship Squadron. She fought at Jutland, and was hit by the British battleships. The König fought in the conquest of the Baltic islands during 1917. She sank around 2.00pm on 21st June 1919.
Diving: The König is virtually upside down in 40 metres of water at 58.53.13 : 3.09.07. Her starboard side is only a few feet above the silty bottom whereas the port side is well embedded. Her keel is at 20 metres. Life has not been so good to the König. She has been extensively salvaged, not least for the radiation free steel some of which has found its way to the moon in the 1969 expeditions. A lot of the hull has been blasted apart which at least gives the diver some appreciation of the inner bulk of these battleships. Amidships her starboard casemate guns are clearly visible. Underneath her deck the centre turret of her 12 inch guns can be seen half buried in the mud. Unfortunately, the guns cannot be seen.

The König is now a pile of wreckage, but an excellent dive for wreck ferrets. She is big and quite intimidating.