Hauksbee Posted October 12, 2014 Posted October 12, 2014 (edited) German submarine warfare, 1915 Germany's surface fleet was largely unable to stand in battle against the vastly superior British Royal Navy. But the new technology of the submarine gave Germany the means to harass Allied shipping despite its weakness on the surface. In 1915, they initiated a kind of underwater blockade — attacking ships bound for Britain as a countermeasure to the near-total Allied knockout of Germany's transatlantic trade. But Germany didn't have nearly sufficient submarine strength to cut off all Allied shipping. What's more, unlike surface ships, submarines couldn't really threaten ships and board them. They could only attack with stealth. That led to the sinking of several ships with Americans aboard, which badly damaged US-German relations. Seeking to appease President Wilson, Germany halted unrestricted submarine warfare. But in February 1917, the Germans changed their minds again — setting themselves on a course that would drag the United States into the war. (For an account of how America got dragged into WWI, you can't do better than read Barbara Tuchman's "The Zimmerman Telegram. [Hauksbee]) Edited October 12, 2014 by Hauksbee Quote
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