Submarine warfare :: essays research papers

triggerman WarfareIt took World War I to prove the worth of submarines. prior to that period, submarines played only a small role in the plans of happen commanders, serving primarily only as coastal defense units. For the closely 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 utterly change when, on 17 September 1914, the German submarine index proved the importance of undersea warfare. On that day, the German submarine U-9 spotted a cloud of smoke and penetrating masts on the horizon. As they came closer, Otto Weddigen, tyrannical 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 cardinal miles. Weddigen gave the order to dive. At 620 a.m., he ordered the set-back torped o fired. It hit the 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 mesh by an explosion and sank, the commanding officers of the CRESSY and HOUGE assumed that she had struck a mine. They unkindly 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 maestro 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 everyplace on to her beam ends. Fifteen minutes later, she joined her sisters at the bottom.The intelligence 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 hold up notice. Submarines were immediately given more thoughtful consideration. Ge rmany entered World War I with but 28 submarines.