Re: How many WW1 U-boats were sunk by aircraft?
Posted by:
chrisheal
()
Date: May 24, 2016 02:01AM
After reading this debate on U-boats sunk by Allied aircraft I remembered these reported comments made by Georg Gerth, commander of UC-61, during his interrogations following the stranding of his vessel in July 1917:
'The most dangerous enemy of the submarine is the destroyer, which can go full speed at the submarine if she is sighted close at hand, and shell her before she can dive deep enough to be out of reach.
'Trawlers are less dangerous, though their fire is sometimes accurate.
'The seaplane and dirigible are the least feared; they are like tiresome mosquitoes which force the vessel to dive, but whose stings are only superficial ... the bombs carried by the Allied seaplanes are not sufficiently powerful; the damage caused by them is slight ... one of the Flanders submarines which was struck by a bomb in the conning tower was not seriously damaged; only one of the periscopes suffered and had to be entirely replaced ... would not admit one case of a submarine destroyed by the bombs of a seaplane or dirigible, but ... evidently not informed of all the causes of such destruction.'
From elsewhere it is evident that Gerth was talking about UB-20 which he said was at that time 'under repair owing to damage by projectile from a seaplane - bombardment of Bruges'.
Mind you, Gerth told many lies during his interrogations ...
Chris Heal
'The most dangerous enemy of the submarine is the destroyer, which can go full speed at the submarine if she is sighted close at hand, and shell her before she can dive deep enough to be out of reach.
'Trawlers are less dangerous, though their fire is sometimes accurate.
'The seaplane and dirigible are the least feared; they are like tiresome mosquitoes which force the vessel to dive, but whose stings are only superficial ... the bombs carried by the Allied seaplanes are not sufficiently powerful; the damage caused by them is slight ... one of the Flanders submarines which was struck by a bomb in the conning tower was not seriously damaged; only one of the periscopes suffered and had to be entirely replaced ... would not admit one case of a submarine destroyed by the bombs of a seaplane or dirigible, but ... evidently not informed of all the causes of such destruction.'
From elsewhere it is evident that Gerth was talking about UB-20 which he said was at that time 'under repair owing to damage by projectile from a seaplane - bombardment of Bruges'.
Mind you, Gerth told many lies during his interrogations ...
Chris Heal
