German Submarine Warfare 1914-1918 in the Eyes - British Naval ...
German Submarine Warfare 1914-1918 in the Eyes - British Naval ...
German Submarine Warfare 1914-1918 in the Eyes - British Naval ...
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1 200<br />
1 000<br />
800<br />
600<br />
400<br />
200<br />
0<br />
Table 4: The Imperial <strong>German</strong> Navy <strong>1914</strong>-<strong>1918</strong> <strong>in</strong> 1,000 BRT 27<br />
12<br />
710<br />
B C D U<br />
16<br />
814<br />
32 66 73<br />
717<br />
662 614<br />
<strong>1914</strong> 1915 1916 1917 <strong>1918</strong><br />
Obst<strong>in</strong>acy to change may be attributed to an adm<strong>in</strong>istrative caste system that<br />
kept naval matters <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> doma<strong>in</strong> of Kaiser Wilhelm, <strong>the</strong> supreme commander of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Imperial Navy. The army managed to relegate <strong>the</strong> Kaiser to a purely symbolic,<br />
honorary role. Not so <strong>the</strong> navy where His Imperial Majesty took a lively <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong><br />
and exercised power over all naval affairs from strategy to tactics.<br />
Table 5: <strong>German</strong> <strong>Submar<strong>in</strong>e</strong>s <strong>1914</strong>-<strong>1918</strong> 28<br />
Coastal Subs. Aug. <strong>1914</strong> 014<br />
Ocean Go<strong>in</strong>g Subs. Aug. <strong>1914</strong><br />
Ordered: 741<br />
Commissioned 342<br />
On Yard at Armistice: 188<br />
Open Orders at Armistice: 251<br />
14<br />
178<br />
169<br />
310<br />
10<br />
82<br />
635<br />
32<br />
106<br />
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800<br />
Moreover, <strong>the</strong> command structure was fragmented. The Reichsmar<strong>in</strong>eamt<br />
(Imperial <strong>Naval</strong> M<strong>in</strong>istry) <strong>in</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong> under Tirpitz and, later, Capelle, was<br />
responsible for f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g and construct<strong>in</strong>g ships. The Admiralsstab (Admiralty Staff)<br />
under Holtzendorff <strong>in</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong> had responsibility for fleet wide strategic plann<strong>in</strong>g. In<br />
Kiel, <strong>the</strong> Kommando der Hochseeflotte (Commander, High Seas Fleet) under Scheer was<br />
27 Numbers based on: NA, HW 7/1, 2 and 3, and on: Groener, Deutsche Kriegsschiffe.<br />
28 Numbers based on: NA, HW 7/1, 2 and 3, and on: Groener, Deutsche Kriegsschiffe..<br />
xvii