German Submarine Warfare 1914-1918 in the Eyes - British Naval ...

The UB III was a synthesis of UC II and UB II, de-facto a ‘Mittel-U light’.
They were built in high numbers, were quite successful and appreciated by the
submarine commanders. Their high losses resulted from their operations in the
second half of the war, when anti-submarine defences had increased.
The long range U-cruisers came late in 1917 and in small numbers. The British
had expected them already for 1916 and judged about their strategic long range
potential:
“[...they] might possibly have entailed a complete revision of many of the means of defence
which were proving effective against the smaller submarines [...]” 85
German naval construction 1914-1918
Dreadnought priority until 1916
Imperial Navy fleet construction authorization (Flottengesetz) for 1912
approved three new dreadnought keels to be laid down in 1915. Six submarines
were scheduled annually but Tirpitz favoured dreadnought construction. With war,
the focus shifted slightly with a dozen each of ocean-going and coastal submarines
added to the construction list.
The three dreadnoughts previewed in the budget were laid down in 1915. Five
additional super-dreadnoughts were ordered as replacements for sunken old
cruisers and three of these were laid down between November 1915 and July 1916.
Table 19: German dreadnoughts laid down 1915-1916 86
Ship Type BRT
Costs (Mio.
RM)
Prinz Eitel Friedrich battle-cruiser 35,300 66
Mackensen battle-cruiser 35,300 66
Württemberg battleship 32,200 50
Yorck battle-cruiser 38,000 75
Blücher battle-cruiser 35,000 66
Friedr. Carl battle-cruiser 35,000 66
Ocean-going submarines of the U-19 type displaced 650 BRT and cost 3.3
million Reichsmarks. Battleship construction required at least three years; a
submarine 12-18 months. A single dreadnought cost the equivalent of twenty
ocean-going U-boats. 87
85 HW 7/2, analysis of Room 40, here printed on page 240.
86 Numbers based on: Groener, Deutsche Kriegsschiffe; and on: Forstmeier, Grosskampfschiffe.
87 Lambert, Fisher’s Revolution, cites examples of the same kind of calculations for the British side.
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