German Submarine Development during World War I and the story of Kapitänleutant Otto Weddigen and U-9

[tnbernardjr]

In the first part of this thread, some history of the German and British navies in World War I will be discussed with particular emphasis on the development and deployment of the German submarine fleet. Notable encounters by German submarines will be examined with special interest in the exploits by Kapitänleutant Otto Weddigen, commanding officer of U-9. The second part of this thread will include, interesting original memorabilia of Otto Weddigen including some original authentic patriotic postcards.

Postcard with painting of Kapitänleutant Otto Weddigen

[tnbernardjr]

In 1899 the German Imperial Navy formed the Torpedo Inspectorate to explore the future role of submarines, and to oversee the development of the submarine force. At first, submarine construction occurred in private shipyards with the goal of eventually selling the submarine designs to the German Imperial Navy or to other countries.
In 1904, Naval Engineer Gustav Berling of the Torpedo Inspectorate led the development of U-1 which was planned for delivery to the Russian Navy. The German Imperial Navy was aware of the plans to build this submarine and followed its development but did not officially sanction its production. The first submarine officially built for the German Imperial Navy was put into service on December 14th, 1906.

U-1

[tnbernardjr]

U-1 represented the culmination of German naval architecture and engineering that began with the work of Bavarian maritime designer Sebastian Wilhelm Bauer. Subsequent submarine designers validated Bauer’s theories of submersible crafts, but acknowledged their limited capabilities which raised questions about the military potential for these vessels.

Bauer’s Motto: Nature throws the bird into the air, the fish into the depths of the sea, but man's divine spirit, explores and uses its powers (postcard on the left).
Wilhelm Bauer, the inventor of underwater navigation. Postcard on the right shows U-boat attacking a British commercial steamer (Handelsdampfer).

[tnbernardjr]

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Imperial Navy’s assets included battleships, armored and light cruisers, destroyers, submarines and auxiliary ships. The British High Seas Fleet was larger in number, armament and experience. The potential for Germany’s small fledgling untested submarine force to have an impact upon naval warfare was initially unknown.
The first group of German submarines that were initially constructed was small and unsteady boats with limited capabilities beyond coastal activities. Their propulsion systems were paraffin burning engines that had limited power for surface propulsion and battery powered engines for submersed operations that required frequent recharging. The torpedo armament was contact fuse type that had to be fired in close proximity to their targets. Submarines were engaged by surface gun fire at first and later on by mine warfare and depth charges. Submarine netting was also used to protect fleet anchorages and narrow geographical passageways.
In spite of their recognized limitations and the early skepticism of their value in naval warfare, disbelievers like Grand German Admiral Alfred Peter Friedrich von Tirpitz soon changed their positions about these early types of U-boats, Unterseeboots. Early on in World War I, the German submarine fleet quickly demonstrated their value to the German Kaiser and his navy in countering the British naval blockade of Germany and taking an offensive role.

Admiral Tirpitz

[tnbernardjr]

Friedrich Krupp’s Germaniawerft was a German ship building company located in the harbor at Kiel. It became one of the largest and most important builders of U-boats for the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I and the Kriegsmarine in World War II.

The three rings, representing seamless railway steel tires are the symbol for the company which was designed by Alfred Krupp. His successful no weld railroad tires were the main revenue stream for the company. Fritz Krupp authorized many new products that would do much to change history. In 1890 Krupp developed nickel steel, which was hard enough to allow for thinner battleship armor and lighter weight cannons.

[tnbernardjr]

Some of the initial delays in U-boat production were due to problems associated with selecting the most efficient surface propulsion system. Gasoline driven engines were found to be too dangerous due to toxic fumes and flammability. Under Krupp’s direction, paraffin (also known as kerosene or coal oil) driven engines were selected. Krupp had prior experience with paraffin engines which were successfully used to power speed boats that he built.
These two stroke engines that were produced by the Körting Brothers were associated with producing thick white exhaust smoke which required tall paired exhaust vents which had to be lowered and stowed before the submarine could dive. This thick white smoke made it easier for these submarines to be detected while underway on the surface.

[tnbernardjr]

By 1910, the Germans lagged behind the British in active submarines assets, having only 8 U-boats versus 56 for Britain. Part of this was due to the low opinion that the Imperial Navy had about the U-boat’s potential.
This changed somewhat during the Kiel festival week in June 1914 when the Kaiser went aboard and personally inspected these “despised” submarines. He boarded several U-boats including Otto Weddigen’s U-9. He was impressed by what he saw and so were the British who sent a powerful squadron of warships to participate in the Kiel Week celebration.
The Admiralty had scheduled a summer cruise program for various squadrons to visit the Baltic countries and it was arranged to send the Second Battle Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Sir George Warrender to visit the port of Kiel from June 23-30, 1914 during the Kiel Week festivities.

This was an important annual event in German high society and was attended by Kaiser Wilhelm who was Queen Victoria’s eldest grandson who also held the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy. The Kaiser had instructed that the warmest welcome be given to the visiting British fleet.

The arriving British Fleet during Kiel Week firing a 21 gun salute.

Four battle ships and three light cruisers including the HMS Birmingham attended. On June 23rd, the British Battle Squadron arrived at Kiel led by Admiral Warrender’s flagship HMS King George. The squadron arrived in a formation one in single file each ship firing a 3 gun salute for a total of 21-gun salute. The final salute was exchanged with the German flagship Friedrich der Grosse. The Germans were impressed how deftly the British ships moored to buoys without assistance. For the Royal Navy, their visit to Kiel included many official visits, banquets, dances and amusements.
During Kiel week, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal was officially opened to public travel after the bow of the yacht Hohenzollern II broke the silk ribbon across the entrance to the new locks. The Kaiser hosted a state dinner aboard his yacht. Captain Arthur Duff of the HMS Birmingham sat in between Vice Admiral Reinhard Scheer and Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl who would soon be in command the German High Seas Fleet. But after this cordial meeting, they would meet again as adversaries in the Battle of Helgoland Bight.



The murder of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand at Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 brought the festivities to an abrupt end.
In spite of the impending war, the British ships left proudly with the Royal Marine band playing rousing musical selections in honor of their hosts. The signals flying from the flagship of the British squadron reflected the sentiments of the day, “friends in peace, friends forever.”

[tnbernardjr]

Early in World War I, there were 28 operational U-boats in service and about half of these were the older paraffin burning type. In spite of the negative feeling about the submarine’s role in the German Navy, by July 16, 1914, U-boat flotilla preparations were proceeding at a rapid pace. Otto Weddigen on board U-9 carried out for the first time the difficult exercise of proving that torpedo tubes could be reloaded while submerged. Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914 and on August 6, 1914 ten U-boats set off from Helgoland Bight in search of the British Grand Fleet.

Leutnant zur See Otto Hersing, Commanding Officer U-21.
There was early success when on September 3, 1914, Leutnant zur See Otto Hersing in command of the diesel powered U-21 sank the cruiser HMS Pathfinder with a single torpedo that struck the aft of the bridge igniting the Pathfinder ‘s magazine. Within 4 minutes, this light cruiser sank. This was the first time in modern history that a warship was sunk by a submarine.

U-21 loading a torpedo.

[tnbernardjr]

Another early success with the U-boat against the British blockade was met with celebration when Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen in U-9 sank three British warships in one encounter. The remarkable feat started on September 20, 1914. After U-9 lost its gyro compass off the Hook of Holland during a violent storm, Weddigen found himself in shoal water and 50 miles off course. He took some soundings and then decided to ride out the storm. By the 21th, the storm had not abated so he took his boat down to 100 meters but even at that depth, the submarine still felt the effects of the surface swells.

U-9 in a storm.
By the next morning Weddigen began to surface having spent the night on the sea bed. The seas had calmed and U-9 blew her tanks then surfaced to recharge her batteries which were nearly drained of power. The skies were clear and crisp. He obtained a fix of his position off the Dutch coast and while on the surface, Watch Officer Oberleutnant zur See Johann Spiess spotted the wisps of smoke over the horizon of three British warships. He called the skipper to the bridge who was below eating breakfast.

Weddigen said, “Make ready for diving.” He brought the periscope up and surveyed the horizon and exclaimed, “There are three light cruisers with four funnels, probably Town class boats.” Spiess broke the silence by saying, “Torpedoes?” Weddigen nodded and Spiess turned back to the adjoining compartment saying, “Torpedoes, Load! Reserve Torpedoes, Ready!”

The forward tubes were readied as the two spare torpedoes were hoisted into a primitive chain trolley that ran overhead to the forward torpedo tubes. U-9 dove even though her batteries were not fully charged. Leveling off at periscope depth, Weddigen maneuvered the “asparagus” as Germans termed the periscope, he observed the horizon for a while and then lowered the scope and collapsed the handles into the housing. These periscopes were manufactured with the precise and accurate Carl Zeiss optics. He took another look and exclaimed to Spiess, “Birmingham class, here’s where we get revenge for U-15.” The British cruiser HMS Birmingham claimed to have sunk the first U-boat of World War I when she rammed and sank U-15 on August 9, 1914.

HMS Birmingham

[tnbernardjr]

As Weddigen took U-9 below, he carefully focused the periscope optics, completing his firing solution, and then called out the firing procedures. He positioned his boat for a nearly point blank shot, at a distance of 500 yards of the middle cruiser. Weddigen then said, “Make tubes ready.” He then ordered, “Number one tube, bow shot.”
Spiess unscrewed the firing button cover of the first tube and checked the panel of lights whose contact would make an electrical connection firing the torpedo. Weddigen then barked, “Fire!” Once the torpedo cleared the tube with a whoosh of compressed air, Weddigen then ordered to the central station to “Dive, dive, take her down to 15 meters and do not break surface. The target is right on us.”
The engineering crew immediately threw open a row of Kingston valves and air was pumped out of the ballast tanks which were then flooded with sea water and U-9 quickly descended. The earlier U-boats had a tendency to bounce to the surface after firing a torpedo which was a reaction of the forward thrust of firing a torpedo and the sudden loss of weight.
The torpedo was fired at 500 yards and it took 31 seconds for it to make contact. With a direct hit, the light cruiser Aboukir begin to sink. Weddigen quickly surfaced to periscope depth to see the Aboukir settling by the stern with white steam blowing out of its four stacks.

HMS Aboukir