German U-Boats in World War 1

• • German U-boats, short for Unterseeboot which means "undersea boat" in German, were submarines mainly used by Germany in wars to attack ships, gather information, and spy on enemies underwater. (World War 1 and World War 2)
  • The first U-boats were developed by Germany in the late 19th century. They were small, cramped, and had a limited range.
  • However, they were also surprisingly effective.
• • In 1914, a German U-boat sank three British cruisers in the North Sea, marking the beginning of a new era of naval warfare.
  • The German U-boat sank the British cruisers by firing torpedoes at them.
  • Torpedoes are underwater missiles that explode when they hit a ship, causing it to sink.
• In 1917, Germany began an

  unrestricted submarine warfare campaign.

  • This meant that U-boats would sink any ship they encountered, regardless of nationality or whether it was carrying civilian passengers.
  • The goal of this campaign was to starve Britain into submission.
• • The sinking of the RMS Lusitania was a major turning point in the war.
  • The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915.
  • More than 1,100 people, including 128 Americans, were killed in the sinking.
  • The sinking of the Lusitania was a major propaganda coup for the Allies.
  • It helped to turn public opinion in the United States against Germany and brought the United States closer to entering the war.
• • The Allies made ways to fight U-boats, like depth charges, convoys, and Q-ships.
  • Q-ships were regular merchant ships with hidden guns.
  • They sailed alone and pretended to be easy targets for U-boats.
  • When a U-boat came close, the Q-ship attacked.
  • It was risky but sometimes worked to sink U-boats.
• • U-boats sank millions of tons of Allied shipping during World War I.
  • However, they were ultimately unsuccessful in bringing Britain to its knees.
  • The development of countermeasures such as depth charges and convoys made it increasingly difficult for U-boats to operate effectively.
  • At the end of the war, Germany was forced to surrender its U-boat fleet.