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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

NH 100343-A German Submarine, stereograph

German Submarine, stereograph
Title: German Submarine, stereograph
Caption: Stranded on the south coast of England after the armistice, 1918-1919. She appears to be the U-118. Note sightseers and rowboats. Stereo photo published by the Keystone View Co. Caption on reverse of stereocard: "Before us, stranded, helpless and already partly demolished, we see one of those furtive 'assassins of the sea' with which Germany vainly hoped to sweep the commerce of the Allies from the oceans and to starve England into surrender. The German naval authorities came perilously near to accomplishing their purpose, but the British Navy, aided by the French Navy and later by that of the United States foiled them. The effort to accomplish such an object as Germany's was perfectly justified in war, but the means which she employed were not justified, for nations have never before resorted to the code of pirates in shelling unarmed ships, sinking them with torpedoes without warning, setting their crews adrift in small boats or murdering them in cold blood. Probably, the most notorious single feat of German U-boats, was the sinking of the Cunard liner LUSITANIA off the coast of Ireland on May 7th, 1915. The ship was bound from New York, to Liverpool and carried over 2,000 passengers of whom 1,150 were drowned, including 124 Americans. This 'victory' was also probably the most costly that Germany ever won, for it brought down upon her the wrath and loathing of the people of the United States and did more than anything else to set the popular mind toward entering the war against her two years later. In front of the conning tower may be seen one of the big guns, lowered within the hull when the boat was under water but raised when she was on the surface and used for shelling her victims. Under the forward end of the boat are two of the torpedo tubes from which those great cylinders filled with high explosive were launched against the side of a ship."
Description: Courtesy of Louis Smaus, 1985.
Catalog #: NH 100343-A
Copyright Owner: Naval History and Heritage Command
Original Creator: Stereo photo published by the Keystone View Co.
After this Year: 1910
Before this Year: 1919
Original Medium: BW Photo, Stereograph
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