GERMAN SUBMARINES
On “The Day”—August 4th, 1914—Germany possessed 30 submarine
torpedo-boats. These were divided into three flotillas, with their
headquarters at Kiel, the largest and most modern vessels being attached
to the Heligoland or North Sea Flotilla. During 1913, although 24
submarines were stated as being in commission, only about 15 were
actively employed, and these mostly in training reserves, the older
boats being docked and modernized where possible. But during the year
six new vessels were added to the flotilla and the _personnel_ of the
submarine service was largely increased. At the same time the inspection
of submarines was separated from that of the other torpedo-boats and a
flag-officer was appointed as head of the submarine branch of the Naval
Service, with headquarters at Kiel. Thus when the hour came for the
great struggle which was to decide the mastery of the seas the whole
German Flotilla of 30 vessels, _with a reserve of six new boats which
had been secretly hurried forward and were rapidly nearing completion_,
was ready to put to sea.
The German Naval Law provided for the construction of 72 submarines by
the end of 1917. All the vessels built up to the present time have been
known as the “U” class and numbered in rotation. They are painted a
brownish-grey colour and have high collier-like bows with massive
armoured conning-towers and long superstructures amounting to narrow
decks. They have all been built at either Kiel or Dantzig.
Although the first submarine boats built for the German Navy were two
vessels of the Nordenfeldt type, launched in 1890, they were never
actively employed with the fleet and have long since been reduced to
scrap-iron, and the first vessel which can now be reckoned as a fighting
unit of the German torpedo-boat flotilla was a vessel designated the
“U.1.” This was built at the Germania Shipyard, Kiel, and launched on
August 30th, 1905. This was the forerunner of the “U” class, which in
most of the essential features resembles the British Improved Holland
type.
U.1.
(Completed 1905.)
This U.1 was built as an experimental boat by the famous firm of Krupps.
She has a surface displacement of 197 tons, a submerged displacement of
236 tons, and her heavy-oil surface engines are of 250 H.-P. The
electric motors for submerged use develop just over 100 H.-P. The speed
ranges from 10 knots an hour on the surface to 7 knots when submerged,
and her surface range of action is about 700 to 800 miles. The armament
consists of one bow torpedo tube and three (17.7) Schwartzkopf torpedoes
are carried. The complement is nine officers and men.
The trials of the U.1 extended over a period of a year and a half, and
all proved remarkably satisfactory. During the tests which took place in
Eckernforder Bay she succeeded, twice in succession, in torpedoing a
moving target while travelling submerged at full speed.
The uncertainty displayed for some years previous by the German Naval
Authorities regarding the value of submarine boats gave place to a
thorough sense of the important part these “mighty atoms” would play in
future naval warfare, and to a strong determination that the German Navy
should include a powerful submarine flotilla.
U.2-U.8.
(Completed 1907‒10.)
These seven vessels were great improvements on the U.1. Their
displacement is 210 tons on the surface and about 250 tons when
submerged. They are fitted with Krupp-Nuremburg heavy-oil engines of 400
H.-P. and electric motors of 160 H.-P. Their speed on the surface is 12
knots and 8 knots when submerged. The surface range of action is 1,000
miles and the submerged endurance about three hours at full speed. Their
armament consists of two bow torpedo tubes and four torpedoes are
carried. The complement is eleven officers and men.
U.9-U.18.[5]
(Completed 1910‒12.)
These ten vessels are of increased size and power, their submerged
displacement being 300 tons, and the horse-power of their heavy oil
surface engines is 600. The electric motors develop 200 H.-P. The
surface and submerged speeds are 13 knots and 8 knots respectively. The
surface range of action is 1,500 miles, and the armament consists of two
bow and one stern torpedo tube with five torpedoes. The U.13 and
subsequent vessels of this class are provided with a quick-firing,
high-angle gun for defence against aircraft, and have sleeping
accommodation for the crew. They may be termed the first German
sea-going submarines. Their complement is twenty officers and men.
U.19 AND U.20.
(Completed 1912‒13.)
There are only two vessels in this class owing to the adoption of
certain improvements with the aid of which a partly new type has been
evolved. These two vessels have a displacement when submerged of 450
tons. Their oil engines of 650 H.-P. give a speed of 13 ½ knots an hour
on the surface, and their electric motors of 300 H.-P. give 8 knots an
hour when submerged. Their surface range of action is 2,000 miles, and
their armament consists of two bow and one stern torpedo tube with six
torpedoes, and two 14-pdr. quick-firing, high-angle guns on disappearing
mountings. The complement is seventeen officers and men.
U.21-U.24.
(Completed 1912‒13.)
These four vessels are the first of the new type of large sea-going
submarines for the German Navy. Their submerged displacement is 800
tons. They are propelled on the surface by heavy-oil engines of 1,200
H.-P., and when submerged by electric motors of 500 H.-P. Their speed
above water is 14 knots an hour and below the surface 9 knots. The
surface range of action is 3,000 miles and the submerged endurance 120
miles at economical speed. Their armament consists of two bow and two
stern torpedo tubes with eight torpedoes, and one 14-pdr. quick-firing
gun and two 1-pdr. high-angle guns, all on disappearing mountings, for
defence against hostile destroyers and aircraft. Their complement is
twenty-five officers and men.
U.25-U.30.
(Completed 1913‒14.)
These six vessels are the latest additions to the German submarine
flotilla. They are vessels of 900 tons submerged displacement with
heavy-oil engines of 2,000 H.-P., and electric motors of 900 H.-P. Their
surface and submerged speed is 18 knots and 10 knots, respectively. The
surface cruising range is 4,000 miles. Their armament consists of two
bow and two stern torpedo tubes, with eight large size torpedoes, and,
in addition, two 14-pdr. quick-firing guns and two 1-pdr. high-angle
guns. They have wireless telegraphic apparatus on board, and are
specially constructed with long superstructures and high _collier-like_
bows to enable them to keep at sea in almost any weather. They are
fitted with two or three periscopes, and also possess a small _look-out_
cap on the top of the lofty conning-tower to facilitate an “awash”
attack in the half-lights of dawn and dusk, when the periscope is almost
useless. The conning-towers and decks are armoured. Their complement is
30 to 35 officers and men.
U.31-U.36.
(Building.)
These are the six vessels which are rapidly nearing completion, and
which were in a much more advanced state, at the opening of hostilities,
than was generally known in foreign naval circles. They are the same in
almost every respect as the vessels U.25 to U.30. There is, however,
another submarine being built for Germany of a totally different design.
This is the F.I.A.T. or _Laurenti_ boat (Italian), laid down at the
beginning of 1914. This vessel is very similar to the four “S” boats
being built at Greenock for the British Navy.
No German submarines have in the past been sent to any Colonial or
oversea station. Therefore, the whole flotilla of 30 to 36 vessels was
immediately available for operations in the North Sea and Baltic when
war began. The _personnel_ of the whole torpedo service is very
efficient, great attention having been paid to this branch of the Navy.
The three German Submarine flotillas have their headquarters at Kiel,
Wilhelmshaven, and Heligoland.
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Footnote 5:
The U.18 was sunk by a British patrol in November, 1914.