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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Restricted and Unrestricted <strong>Submar<strong>in</strong>e</strong> <strong>Warfare</strong> 1916 and 1917<br />
Table 13: U-boat merchant war Sep. 1916 – Sep. 1917,<br />
North Sea and Atlantic 55<br />
800<br />
700<br />
600<br />
500<br />
400<br />
300<br />
200<br />
100<br />
0<br />
1916<br />
Oct<br />
433<br />
205<br />
15<br />
379<br />
414<br />
150 166<br />
13 13<br />
Nov<br />
1 000 BRT sunk<br />
Uboats out per day on merchant war<br />
BRT sunk per uboat out and day<br />
Dec<br />
447<br />
233<br />
17<br />
1917<br />
Jan<br />
In this table we compare two aspects of <strong>the</strong> submar<strong>in</strong>e merchant war: <strong>the</strong><br />
restricted phase last<strong>in</strong>g from October, 1916 to January, 1917 and <strong>the</strong> third<br />
unrestricted submar<strong>in</strong>e war beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> February, 1917 <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> North Sea and<br />
Atlantic.<br />
Total tonnage sunk <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> unrestricted merchant campaign was significantly<br />
higher because:<br />
55 Numbers based on: NA, HW 7/3; NA/ADM 137/3921; NA, ADM 137/4817; NA, ADM<br />
137/4814; NA, ADM 1/8509/1; Sp<strong>in</strong>dler, Handelskrieg; Bendler, UB- und UC-Boote.<br />
xxx<br />
574<br />
371<br />
23<br />
Feb<br />
515<br />
439<br />
27<br />
Mar<br />
661<br />
615<br />
31<br />
Apr<br />
413<br />
29<br />
459<br />
May<br />
• The total number of deployed submar<strong>in</strong>es was higher (around thirty<br />
daily);<br />
• There were more targets <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> unrestricted merchant war. All neutral<br />
shipp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> war zone could now be sunk, whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong>re was<br />
contraband aboard. Neutral shipp<strong>in</strong>g made up around 20-30% of <strong>the</strong><br />
traffic around <strong>the</strong> <strong>British</strong> Isles. In restricted warfare all neutral ships<br />
without contraband on board were permitted to pass unmolested.<br />
100<br />
75<br />
50<br />
25<br />
0