Military Power

In a record almost without parallel in Naval history, the German submarine U-9 would account for the sinking of four Royal Navy Cruisers in the opening weeks of the Great War.

Yes it is true. I didn’t believe it myself until I did some research. On the 22 Sept 1914, U-9 attacked and sank the Royal Navy Cruisers- HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, and HMS Cressy, in the North Sea. On the 15th of October 1914, off the east coast of Scotland a similar fate awaited the Cruiser HMS Hawke.

In the attacks on the HMS Cressy, Aboukir and Hogue the Royal Navy lost some 1,459 men, whilst the sinking of the Hawke cost a further 525 (Destroyers sent out to look for the Hawke recovered 21 survivors from a raft and another 49 from a boat). Lieutenant Otto Weddigen and his crew were awarded German’s highest honour-The Pour le Mérite.

From 1916, U-9 was restricted to training duties and was finally surrendered to the Allies on November 26, 1918. She was broken up in England in 1919.