27 WW1 Submarines Facts Will Surely Make You Think Twice

Submarine warfare was crucial in the face of rising international tensions during World War I.

After the war broke in 1914, the United Kingdom used its superior navy to blockade German ports, preventing food, supplies, and war equipment from reaching the German soldiers and civilians. The United Kingdom designated German waterways a war zone, seizing goods headed for the Central Powers (Bulgaria, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary).

Germany replied by erecting its own blockade all-around the English Channel and the British Isles, as well as launching an all-out submarine war against all Allied and neutral ships.

History

Although nautical technology has improved rapidly since World War I, U-boats were considered very sophisticated in 1914. These submarines could dive to a maximum depth of 165 ft (50 m), traverse at speeds of 16 knots on the externals and eight knots below the surface, and had a coverage of up to 25,000 mi (40,233 km).

They were equipped with up to 16 self-propelled torpedoes and deck-mounted guns. Surface assaults were prevalent during this time because torpedoes were unreliable.

This approach also enabled U-boat personnel to grab supplies and jewels from merchant ships before they sank. In addition, certain U-boats were outfitted with the ability to carry and deploy naval explosives.

During World War I, Britain's blockade of the English Channel and the North Sea halted the supply of gasoline, food, and war supplies to Germany. Germany reacted by sinking neutral ships supplying the Allies with their submarines.

The terrifying U-boats ('unterseeboot' in German), fitted with torpedoes, patrolled the Atlantic. As Britain successfully closed German ports from the supply, they were Germany's sole weapon of advantage.

The idea was to starve Britain before Germany was crushed by the British blockade.

On May 7, 1915, the German submarine U-20 sank the Cunard passenger liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Nearly 1,200 children, women, and men were killed, including 128 Americans.

The sinking was seen as an act of indiscriminate warfare by the Allies and Americans. The Germans claimed the Lusitania was carrying military equipment and hence a lawful target.

Faced with a prospect of going to war with the United States over the event, Germany backed down and ordered its U-boat fleet to leave passenger ships. The injunction, however, was only in effect for a limited time.

To break through the British blockage, which sought to starve Germany out of the battle, Germany produced larger and bigger U-boats. Germany had only 20 U-boats in 1914.

It possessed 140 U-boats by 1917, and the U-boat had sunk almost 30% of the world's merchant ships.

The German high command pushed a return to unrestricted submarine warfare at the start of 1917, dismissing opponents of the program, which sought to destroy over 600,000 tons of commerce every month.

Germany was already suffering from food shortages, and the government had enforced unpopular conscription into the military forces or the war industry.

They wanted to break the British stronghold on vital German supply ports and force Britain to withdraw from the war within a year.

U-boat assaults on all ships in the Atlantic, along with civilian passenger and merchant ships, continued unrestrictedly.

German military officials reckoned that they could defeat the allies before the U.S. could gather and equip soldiers to land in Europe, despite their fears that the U.S. would intervene.

When unrestricted submarine warfare commenced in February 1917, President Wilson publicly dissolved diplomatic ties, but he had no idea how much popular backing had shifted.

He rejected to request a declaration of world war from Congress at the time, claiming that Germany had not yet done any 'real overt conduct' warranting military action.

The Importance Of Submarines

Submarines are excellent spies.

They have access to areas where a surface warship does not.

This is critical when circumstances prohibit the navy from revealing its presence to the opponent. As a result, it's a crucial instrument for the Commander in Chief.

Types Of Submarines

Ballistic missile submarines and attack submarines are the two primary types of submarines. Attack submarines may be either diesel-electric or nuclear, with the latter being entirely nuclear owing to the need to stay submerged until needed.

Although many countries can build a diesel-electric submarine, the nuclear-powered version is regarded as one of the most difficult technical challenges faced by industrialized countries.

Because the required skill and experience are difficult and expensive to develop, only a small group of countries have been able to miniaturize a nuclear reactor with the capacity to power a small town, along with its power generating equipment.

This is why membership in this exclusive club is limited: China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia.

The United States, China, and Russia have the most submarines. However, there are now 600 submarines in use by 43 nations.

Diesel fuel is used to charge batteries that power supplementary equipment in diesel-electric submarines.

The boats' ability to operate is hampered by the need for oxygen for combustion; batteries are often depleted after eight hours, and snorkels are easily visible.

Nuclear submarines are only limited by the expiration of their food supply, but with the development of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems that can operate quietly underwater for many weeks, nuclear submarines will be able to operate indefinitely.

The capacity of conventional submarines to conduct war has been greatly enhanced and at a fraction of the expense of nuclear submarines.

FAQs

How were submarines used in WWI?

The submarine was mainly employed to sink supply ships, but it was also deployed as a fear weapon during World War 1 and the Civil War.

How much did a WWI submarine weigh?

The WWI submarine would weigh somewhere around 26,000 tons.

What were the advantages of submarines in WWI?

Submarines of the British M Class were up to 295 ft (90 m) long and traversed up to 4,971 mi (8,000 km). A 12 in (305 mm) cannon positioned in a turret in front of the tower was one of their distinguishing features.

Submarines from the United Kingdom and America were regularly utilized in the Baltic Sea during World War I, especially during the successful German blockade of 1915.

How fast was a WWI submarine?

Diesel engine-powered submarines had a maximum speed of about 11 mph (17 kph).

What is unrestricted submarine warfare?

It is a kind of naval warfare in which countries had submarines sink and destroy ships without cause.

How did the Allies defend against U-boats?

The convoy system, in which cargo ships were herded across the North Sea and elsewhere in groupings of up to 60 ships, protected as much as possible by naval escorts and patrolling aircraft; Allied signal intelligence cracked the U-boats' advanced Enigma code; and, most importantly, the Allies were victorious over the U-boats.

How were U-boats used in WWI?

U-boats were employed to destroy enemy carriers and ships transporting supplies to Allies.

How were U-boats powered?

They were powered by diesel engines.

What were submarines used for in WWI?

Underseeboot was the most popular and deadly submarine used by Germany for WWI.

How many submarines were there in WWI?

The German U-boat was one of the most renowned submarines of World War I naval history. There were 29 such submarines before the war, but Germany constructed 360 throughout the conflict.

How good were submarines in WWI?

Submarines were powerful weapons of destruction during WWI and were extremely effective.

Why did Germans in WWI call submarines a U-boat?

The German phrase 'Unterseeboot' means 'submarine' or 'under the sea boat'.

How did the Allies plan to defend their merchant shipping from German submarines in WWI?

The Allies planned to defend their merchant shipping from German submarines by convoy system.