Figure 1.--. |
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The Treaty of Versilles required that all German U-boats be turned over to the Allies and that the German Navy not build or deploy any U-boats in the future. This was in addition to turningbover the major battleships of the highseas fleet. The Highseas fleet saled to Scappa Flow, but instead of rurning over the vesselss to the British scuttled much of the fleet. The Royal Navy had been strongly depleted during the inter-war era by naval limitations treaties. The Depression which began in 1929 affected appropriations. Although the Royal Navy had been weakened by the inter-war naval limitations treaties, it still outclassed the German Kriegsmarine which operated under the limitations of the Versailles Treaty. Even so the Kriegsmarine conducted secret reserarch. They also helped secure cobntracts for German shipyards to build submarines for other countries. The construction of U-boats was not outlawed by the treaty. This mean that Germany even before the NAZI take over was developing U-boat technology during the 1920s. Hitler unilaterally abrogated the Versailles Treay (1935). This could have resulted in war, but neither Britain and France had any desire for a new war. The British response was to negotiate a naval agreement with the NAZI Germany (1935). The agreement allowed the NAZIs begin a naval armaments program at their weakest point. Britain in the agreement ceeded the right of Germany to build U-boats. NAZI Germany's new U-boat fleet was put in the hands of Admiral Karl Doenitz, a fervant NAZI supporter. Doenitz was a decorated World War I U-boat commander who like many other naval commanders had been humiliated by Germany's defeat in World War I. He began to aggressivey build a new German submarine force. Resources were at first limited. Hitler's priorities were his Panzers and the Luftwaffe. Even within the Kriegsmarine resources were focused on surface ships. Yes the NAZI armaments program was so extensive that Doenitz was able to build a sunstantial number of modern U-boats. He worked aggressively on developing improved technology, including saftey measures, and tactics. Hitler gave lttle attention to the U-boat fleet until after the War began. Hitler approved Plan-Z, a secret plan to prepare the Kriegsmarine for war with Britain by 1944. It involved the construction of massive capital ships and two aircraft carriers. Hitler's inclination was to focus on large overwealming weapons. Thus he was attracted to large battleships like Bismarck and Tripitz rather than small U-boats.
The Treaty of Versilles required that all German U-boats be turned over to the Allies and that the German Navy not build or deploy any U-boats in the future. This was in addition to turningbover the major battleships of the highseas fleet. The Highseas fleet saled to Scappa Flow, but instead of rurning over the vesselss to the British scuttled much of the fleet.
The major naval powers (America, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan) agreed to major limitations on their naval strength which at the time was measured in battleships. American Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes organized a conference to address the problem os spiraling naval expendidutres as a result of the naval arms race. Senator William E. Borah, Republican of Idaho, who had ledt the fight againstvAmerican ratification of the Treaty of Versailles and participation in the League of Nations, strongly advocated efforts to limit the arms race. His efforts were not at first favored by the new Harding administration, but was eventually adopted as the Republican alternative to the Democrat's (Wilson's) policy of collective security through the League of Nations. The Confrence opened on Armistice Day 1921--a very meaningful date so close to World War I. he American delegation was led by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. Hughes shocked the other delegates by proposing a major reduction in naval fleets and not just limitations on new construction. This was far beyond what the other countries had anticipated. Some have called this one of the most dramatic moments in
American diplomatic history. The American proposals entailed scrapping almost 2 million tons of warships as well as alengthy “holiday” on new building.
The Royal Navy was been strongly depleted during the inter-war era by naval limitations treaties and economy-minded governments. Government officials believed that the Versailles Treaty removed the German threat and that the Japanese threat was limited by its dependence on raw material imports. Labour formed a Government for a second time (1929). Labour is the British socialist party. MacDonald and his Party were strongly influenced by the traditional pacifist sentiment within the world socialist movement. (A sentiment not shared by the Soviet Union.) MacDonald was not a pacifist, but he seems to have believed that a strong military was more of a danger than a means of preventing future war. MacDonald sponsorded a disarmament conference in London. He suspended work on the Singapore naval base as a goodwill gesture to Japan. And he moved to scale back miitary spending in Britain. In particular he placed a limit of 50 cruisers on the Royal Navy. Cruisers were not covered by the Washington Naval Treaties. MacDonald approved the 50 crusier limit despite the findings of the Admiralty that 70 cruisers were the bare minimum needed. The MacDonald premiership (1929-35) in all fairness began before the rise of Hitler and the Japanese militarists and, as a result, of the Depression had to turn to the Conservatives to form a National Government. But his outlook and budgets had a major impact on the strength of the Royal Navy with which Britain would fight World War II. The Depression which also began in 1929 substantially affected appropriations. Not only was the force structure limited, but Important projcts were delyed. One of many such projects was the upgrading of HMS Hood with needed deck armor.
Although the Royal Navy had been weakened by the inter-war naval limitations treaties, it still outclassed the German Kriegsmarine which operated under the limitations of the Versailles Treaty. Even so the Kriegsmarine conducted secret reserarchh. They also helped secure cobntracts for German shipyards to build submarines for other countries. The construction of U-boats was not outlawed by the treaty. This mean that Germany even before the NAZI take over was developing U-boat technology during the 1920s. .
The Versailles Treaty prohibited Germany from building battleships. The Germans, however, proceeded to build a series of "armoured cruisers" which the British called pocket battleships. The Treaty restricted the Germans to ships of 10,000 GRT. The new German battleships were 14,000 GRT. The German ships were Admiral Speer, Deutchland, Graf Spee, and ???.
Hitler unilaterally abrogated the Versailles Treay when he announced both the creation of the Luftwaffe and the resumtion of conscription (1935). This could have resulted in war, but neither Britain and France had any desire for a new war. The British response was to negotiate a naval agreement with the NAZI Germany. The agreement allowed the NAZIs to begin a naval armaments program at their weakest point. Britain in the agreement ceeded the right of Germany to build U-boats. The Treaty of Versailles prohbited the Germans from building U-boats. British naval planners were convinced that ASDAC (SONAR) had rendered the submarine obsolete. In addition the U-boat threat had been so completely defeated in 1917 that Royal Navy experts were not concerned with a new U-boat threat. The treaty was a major victory for the NAZIS. The British agreed to levels of parity with the Germans. The Germans were allowed to build a surface fleet equal to 35 percent of the British surface fleet and 45 percent of British submarine fleet. As the Germans had virtually no navy at the time they could begin to build a substantial number of vessels without viloating the terms of the treaty. Of course Hitler reasoned that once the levels were reached, he could negotiate new limits or build in violation of the treaty. The Agreement freed the Germans to build both battleships and U-boats. Hitler was less interested in the navy than the army and air force. He thus interfered less. He left choices on naval armament primarily to the admirals. And they chose to use the limited available resources to build surface ships, especially batleships and battle cruisers. Relatvely limited resources were devoted to U-boats.
NAZI Germany's new U-boat fleet was put in the hands of Admiral Karl Doenitz, a fervant NAZI supporter. Doenitz was a decorated World War I U-boat commander who like many other naval commanders had been humiliated by Germany's defeat in World War I. He began to aggressivey build a new German submarine force. Resources were at first limited. Hitler's priorities were his Panzers and the Luftwaffe. Even within the Kriegsmarine resources were focused on surface ships. Yes the NAZI armaments program was so extensive that Doenitz was able to build a sunstantial number of modern U-boats. He worked aggressively on developing improved technology, including saftey measures. Doenitz decided to focus on surface attacks at night concluding that surface attacks would counter the British development of ASDAC (SONAR). New torpedoes were developed, first with percussion dentonators and latter with more effective mnafnattic denotanors. He also spent a great deal of time in developing tactics to deal with technological advances. Doenitz by the end of 1935 had 13 U boats which were housed in especially designed concrete submarine pens. The limitations of the 1935 Naval Agreement with the British was on tonnage. Doenitz did not see this as a major limitation, reasoning that a larger number of smaller U-boats was more effective force han a small number of large boats.
Type 22 were small boats of about 250 GRT. They were used for training and reconisance. Type 9 was the larger boats ranging from 1,100 1,400 GRT.
Type 7 was the principal U-boat deployed by the Kriegsmarine. They were boats from 500-750 GRT with a crew of 56. They had twin diesel engines of 1400 HP which could drive the boat on the suface at 17 knots. They also had twin electric engiines 750 HP giving speeds 8 knots under water. They carried 11-14 torpedoes which the Germans called ells. (American submariners called them fish.) There were four bow torpedo tubes and one stern tube. They were armed with the German 88-mm gun, the most effective artillery piece of the War.
The type 9 was built in greater numbers than any other submarine. The new German U-boat force was a volunteer force. There was a very demanding training program through which only the most competent officers and men were allowed into the force. U-boat men came to look on each other as the cream of the German navy.
After Hitler renounced the Versailles treaty (1935), he ordered the construction of two new battleships--Nicennow?? and Scharnhost. THese were true battleships. On the eve of World War II, the keels of two new battleships were laid: Bismark and Tirpitz. These were giganic 51,000 GRT ships with eight 15 in guns. The decession to build these ships may have been a decisive step in te war to come. These ships like the German highseas fleet of Wotld war I played no notable role in the War. Battleships were the nost expesive weapons to build. The were enormously expensive ships requiring vast quantities of steel and other materials. If the Germans had put the resources required in building U-boats, Germany would have entered World war II with a U-boat force that almost certainly could have sevcered Britain's maritime sea lines. Here the blame for this decession can not be place solely on Adolf Hitler who loved nothing more than large over-powering weapons. It was the ledership of tge German navy that wanted battleships.
Hitler gave lttle attention to the U-boat fleet until after the War began. Hitler approved Plan-Z, a secret plan to prepare the Kriegsmarine for war with Britain by 1944. It involved the construction of massive capital ships including eigh super battleships and five battle cruisers. In addition two air craft carriers were planned. Hitler's inclination was to focus on large overwealming weapons. Thus he was attracted to large battleships like Bismarck and Tripitz rather than small U-boats. Hitler also planned to build a gigantic 140,000 GRT battleship which would have been twice the size of the Japanese Yamato (the largest battle ship class ever constructed) and would be equipped with eight 20 in guns.
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