German Submarine Development

2 Pages 575 Words

German Submarine Development


The first World War demonstrated to the world that submarine forces could be an essential ingredient to any country’s navel and overall war fighting capability. German U-Boats wreaked havoc on Allied surface ships throughout the war. Hundreds of thousands of tons of ships were sent to the depths of the sea as a result of this born again weapon system. Submarines had been in use for decades, but never before had they been used with such devastating results. Germany’s use of submarines during this period overshadowed any other country’s attempts at submarine warfare to date. Germany would show everyone during World War II how the U-Boat had become an integral element of there blitzkrieg war machine.

With the end of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany of possessing any U-Boat and dictated that the Imperial Navy be reduced to only a handful of very old surface ships. Germany however would not forget the importance of the U-Boat as an essential element of military might. Through relentless clandestine operations Germany would retain and actually improve there U-Boat technology base despite the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.

The world remembered the successful campaigns of the German U-Boat fleet during World War I. Some recalled the thousands of lives lost and perils of those left stranded in life boats after submarine attacks. The Treaty of Versailles had forbidden any build up of German military forces. As a result of this, England, Japan, France, Italy, and the United States failed to pay heed to Germany’s technological advancements in U-Boat construction during these years. The so called world powers did not invite Germany to the international meetings designed to regulate the naval forces of these countries.

German engineers, dockyard experts, and naval officers helped to supervise the submarine construction. Orders for submarines were receiv...