The light cruiser SMS Dresden
| SMS DRESDEN – SHIP DETAILS | |
| Type | Steel, Cöln class light cruiser |
| Shipyard | Howaldtswerke, Kiel |
| Launched | 25.04.1917 |
| Dimensions (LOA) | 511.5’x47.0’x21.0’ (IMP) 155.9×14.3×6.4 metres |
| Tonnage | 5600dt |
| Engines | 2 x 31,000 shp steam turbines |
| Armament | 8 x 15 cm SK L/45 quick firing guns, 2 x 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns, 4 x 60 cm torpedo tubes |
| SMS DRESDEN – WRECK DETAILS | |
| Position | 58° 52.960’N, 003° 08.480’W |
| Seabed depth | 35 metres |
| Least depth on wreck | 17 metres |
| Orientation | 115°/ 295° |
| Lying | Lies on port side with bow pointing northwest |
| Description | This Dresden lies on her port side, canted over, and is again substantially intact although showing more signs of degradation than some. Salvage work has been focused to the turbine rooms which are a mass of bent and twisted metal, access appears to have been made through the base of the hull rather than shipside, the bow 5.9 inch guns have also been removed. Numbers in brackets throughout text refer to pictures of the wreck in the gallery above.
Commencing at the bow, the key points of interest are as follows. The bow fairlead (1,4) sits off the seabed and the angle of this part of the wreck can clearly be seen (2). The outline of the shields of the city of Dresden are visible both sides of the stem (3). Under the bow the port anchor chain snakes out of its haws pipe and off across the seabed. Moving aft, passed the partially buried starboard haws pipe (5) and port capstan (6), the fore deck has peeled away from the starboard rail and down toward the seabed due to corrosion. This feature extends as far as the control tower (7,8) with its slot viewing port and weather eyelids (9). Immediately behind this is the bridge and fore mast (10) with platform, a searchlight lies in bits on the seabed (11). On the starboard side of the bridge is a 5.9” deck gun (12), its barrel now at deck level (13). Behind the bridge structure are the boiler rooms below deck and not accessible at present. Coal is visible in this area along with piles of firebricks from the adjacent boiler room. Next is the area around the turbine room which has been heavily salvaged and is a jumble of metal and parts. If you stay at seabed level, you should soon reach the aft mast (14) at seabed level. Here continue to follow the wreck aft at 2m above seabed, this will lead you to the two aft 5.9 inch guns and deckhouse (15,16). Finally, the stern is reached after passing the capstan (17) the kedge anchor (18,19). On the starboard rail there are pockets in the deck which are believed to be holders for chemical smoke cannisters (20,21). At this point it is worthwhile swimming slightly forward and over the starboard rail till you reach the rudder (19), the propeller shaft struts are also visible on the outer hull. |
