Submarine warfare :: essays research papers

hacek WarfareIt took World War I to prove the worth of submarines. precedent to that m, submarines played only a small role in the plans of eliminate commanders, serving primarily only as coastal defense units. For the about part, fleet commanders ridiculed the idea that the submarine had a place in marine strategy and tactics. They believed that the submarine was only a play thing. It diverted time and money from other more useful and dependable branches of the service.This view was to unawares change when, on 17 September 1914, the German submarine tie proved the importance of undersea warfare. On that day, the German submarine U-9 espy a cloud of smoke and penetrating masts on the horizon. As they came closer, Otto Weddigen, despotic officer of the U-9, could make out three cruisers steaming abreast at a speed of about 10 knots. Each was seperated from the others by deuce miles. Weddigen gave the order to dive. At 620 a.m., he ordered the runner torpedo fired. It hit t he cruiser HMS ABOUKIR, which began to list heavily. Within 25 minutes, she had capsized and sunk. ABOUKIR had been cruising with her sisters HMS CRESSY and HMS HOUGE. When ABOUKIR was ask by an explosion and sank, the commanding officers of the CRESSY and HOUGE assumed that she had struck a mine. They closed in and began rescue operations. HMS HOUGE was next to go. Two torpedoes struck her hull --sinking her in less than 10 minutes. A glimpse of the U-9s periscope suddenly made CRESSYs sea captain aware of what had occured. CRESSY tried to make a run for it. It was too late. At 717 a.m., Widdigen fired two more torpedoes. CRESSY rolled over on to her beam ends. Fifteen minutes later, she joined her sisters at the bottom.The intelligence activity that the German submarine U-9 had attacked and sunk three British armored cruisers in the North Sea caused the entire world to sit up and soak up notice. Submarines were immediately given more thoughtful consideration. Germany entered World War I with but 28 submarines.