Scenes of War - German Submarines

The first German U-boat was commissioned in 1906.

The first (4) completed U-boats were grouped into the 1st U-boat Flotilla in 1910.

A U-boat company and a corresponding U-boat school were established in Kiel

At the outbreak of the war, 15 (of 28) U-boats were combat-ready. U 1–23 belonged to the Naval Station of the Baltic Sea.

In March 1916 the German Navy had 48 operational U-boats.

On U 1–2 the crew numbered 22 members each; on other U-boat types it was up to 83.

Longer underwater voyages were only possible after the invention of the electric motor (1880).

For surface voyages, from 1910 onwards petrol or diesel engines were installed, which simultaneously charged the batteries for the electric motors.

The first U-boats were 400 tons; the later-built U-boat cruisers displaced over 1,000 tons and made 15 knots (on the surface).

According to Hansen (Die Deutschen Schiffe der deutschen Flotten 1848 - 1945, Augsburg 1998, p. 144) the medium-sized U-boat of approx. 750–800 t and 65 m length proved best.

Over the course of the war the Imperial Navy was increased to about 380 U-boats (345 according to Hansen). Of them 178 were lost. More than 50% of the crew members lost their lives (5,132).

Germany was largely cut off from the export of goods by sea at the very beginning of the First World War by a (British) naval blockade.

This affected raw materials and foodstuffs and led in the German Empire to shortages and a rationing economy, and to famine — the "turnip winter" (1916/17).

Conversely, Great Britain was also to be cut off from supplies from overseas, particularly from the British colonies and the USA.

Therefore the Imperial Navy was also employed against civilian merchant ships.

In particular the U-boats became the main offensive weapon of the Imperial Navy.

An unrestricted use of U-boats against merchant ships was however delayed or suspended again in order to avoid a final political break with the USA.

Only at the end of December 1916 was the unrestricted U-boat war resumed.

Despite great successes - a total of 5,861 ships were sunk - it did not, as hoped, succeed in completely isolating Great Britain from supplies and forcing it to an early peace.

On 22 September 1914 U 9 achieved the sinking of 3 armored cruisers and, shortly thereafter, another British armored cruiser. In 1916 U 9 went down with her entire crew.

Below are some photos of U 117.

U 117 was commissioned on 28.03.1918 and decommissioned on 21.11.1918.

After the end of the war U 117 was handed over to the USA and was initially displayed along the Atlantic coast in several exhibitions. On 21.06.1921 the U-boat was sunk in an exercise off Cape Charles.