Intensified submarine warfare, a form of
submarine warfare
Submarine warfare is one of the four divisions of underwater warfare, the others being anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare and mine countermeasures.
Submarine warfare consists primarily of diesel and nuclear submarines using torpedoes, missi ...
practiced by
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in the first months of 1916, represented a German political compromise between the internationally recognised
Prize Rules
In admiralty law prizes are equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of ''prize'' in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and her cargo as a prize of war. In the past, the capturing force ...
(which made submarines virtually ineffective as commerce raiders) and
unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships such as freighters and tankers without warning, as opposed to attacks per prize rules (also known as "cruiser rules") that call for warships to sea ...
(in which submarines sink merchant ships operating in designated
War Zones
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
without warning, and without provision for the safety of passengers or crew). Germany abandoned the policy in May 1916 due to
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
political pressure arising from a number of incidents, most notably the torpedoing of the cross-channel ferry
''Sussex''.
[Bridgland, Chapter 6, ''passim''
]
See also
*
Submarine warfare
Submarine warfare is one of the four divisions of underwater warfare, the others being anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare and mine countermeasures.
Submarine warfare consists primarily of diesel and nuclear submarines using torpedoes, missi ...
*
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding (french: guerre de course, "war of the chase"; german: Handelskrieg, "trade war") is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than enga ...
*
Tonnage war
A tonnage war is a military strategy aimed at merchant shipping. The premise is that the enemy has a finite number of ships and a finite capacity to build replacements. The concept was made famous by German Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, who wrote:"T ...
*
Unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships such as freighters and tankers without warning, as opposed to attacks per prize rules (also known as "cruiser rules") that call for warships to sea ...
*
Sussex pledge
The Sussex Pledge was a promise made by Germany to the United States in 1916, during World War I before the latter entered World War I. Early in 1915, Germany had instituted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, allowing armed merchant ships ...
*
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
References & notes
;Notes
;Sources
* ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921'' Conway Maritime Press, 1985.
*Tony Bridgeland. ''Outrage at Sea: Naval Atrocities in the First World War''. Pen and Sword Books, 2002.
Submarine warfare
Military strategy
Military doctrines
Naval warfare tactics
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