The Ridiculous Way British Sailors Were Ordered to Stop German U-boats During WWI

TL;DR

In World War I, the British tried various absurd tactics to combat U-boats, including training seagulls, using paint to blind periscopes, and hunting submarines with hammers.

Transcript

was, in part, due to the fact that when they were submerged they were undetectable by technology of the day. Another factor that played into German hands is that the Allies, especially the British, consistently downplayed the danger posed by submarines and their value in combat. In fact, at first British Naval brass simply refused to acknowledge th... Read More

Key Insights

• ⬛ The initial underestimation of U-boats and lack of viable countermeasures put the British at a disadvantage in World War I.
• 🎯 The weakness of U-boats was their reliance on periscopes for targeting, providing a window of opportunity for counterattacks.
• 🚄 Absurd proposals such as training seagulls and using paint or trained animals to combat U-boats highlight the desperation to find effective solutions.
• 😒 The use of hammers to destroy periscopes, though unconventional, was a tactic actually implemented during the early stages of the war.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did the British initially underestimate the threat of U-boats?

The British Naval officers had little faith in the potential of submarines and saw them as a mere fascination with no real combat potential, which resulted in underestimating the danger posed by U-boats and their sinking of ships.

Q: How did the British try to counter U-boats before the introduction of depth charges?

Before depth charges were introduced in 1916, the British relied on ships either running away from or attempting to ram U-boats when the periscope was spotted. These methods involved significant risks and were not entirely effective.

Q: What were some of the absurd proposals to combat U-boats?

Some proposals included training seagulls to target periscopes, using paint to blind the periscope lens, and even attempting to train sea lions to detect U-boats and alert the British of their presence.

Q: Was the tactic of using hammers to destroy periscopes effective?

The effectiveness of this tactic is unclear, but it was popular enough for senior officers to enlist the help of burly blacksmiths with large hammers to patrol on small boats. As more advanced technologies were developed, this tactic became obsolete.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The British initially downplayed the danger of U-boats and had little faith in the effectiveness of submarines, which led to a lack of viable ways to combat them.

• The U-boat's weakness was its need to use the periscope to mark its target, providing a brief opportunity for counterattacks.

• Multiple absurd methods were proposed, including training seagulls, using paint to blind periscopes, and hunting submarines with hammers.