Why British feared German Uboats

During both World War I and World War II, the British had a profound fear of German U-boats, submarines that played a significant role in naval warfare. In World War I, German U-boats, under the command of Admiral Karl Dönitz, became notorious for their unrestricted submarine warfare campaign. The fear stemmed from the devastating impact U-boats had on British shipping, sinking numerous vessels, including civilian and merchant ships. The unrestricted nature of their attacks, where they targeted any vessel without warning, created a sense of vulnerability for British sailors and civilians alike. The sinking of the passenger liner Lusitania in 1915, with the loss of over 1,000 lives, underscored the ruthlessness of U-boat tactics and heightened British fears.

World War II saw a resurgence of the U-boat threat as Germany once again employed them to disrupt Allied supply lines. The German U-boats, equipped with advanced technology and tactics, posed a serious challenge to the British Royal Navy. The "wolfpack" strategy, where U-boats hunted in coordinated groups, made it difficult for the British to defend against the relentless submarine attacks. The Battle of the Atlantic became a pivotal theater, with U-boats targeting convoys carrying vital supplies from North America to the British Isles. The fear of U-boats persisted as the Germans continued to innovate, developing faster and more elusive submarines that could strike with precision, leading to a constant state of anxiety for the British forces and merchant shipping.

The fear of U-boats in both wars was also exacerbated by the psychological impact of their stealth and the vastness of the open seas. U-boats operated beneath the surface, making them difficult to detect, and their ability to strike without warning instilled a sense of dread. The underwater nature of their attacks added an element of unpredictability, as British ships were vulnerable not only on the surface but also underwater. The fear of U-boats influenced naval strategies, convoy systems, and the development of anti-submarine warfare technologies, as the British desperately sought ways to counter this silent and lethal threat to their maritime interests.
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[crapphone]

American P class fleet boats made German U-boats look like beer cans with batteries.

[feldweible]

German Uboats only began the, so called, unrestricted warfare after the British ordered that all Uboats were to be attacked and sunk no matter what they were doing at the time. So even Uboats who were performing Rescue Operations or towing lifeboats of Allied or Civilians to safety were immediately and without warning attacked. This British order ended the German boat Captain's practice of surfacing to inspect Allied ships to search it for War Materials or giving the passengers and crew time to get off the target ship before the attack.

[FredSmith-st]

Yet Germany lost. Amazing isn't it!