America's U-boats : terror trophies of World War I /
Chris Dubbs.
- Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, (c)2014.
- 1 online resource (x, 206 pages) : illustrations
- Studies in war, society, and the military .
Includes bibliographical references.
The first U-boats in America -- They are here at last -- Fighting the U-boats -- Delivered into allied hands -- Selling bonds -- The first submarine on the Great Lakes -- The epic voyage of UB-88 -- The sinkings -- Rediscovering the U-boats.
The submarine was one of the most revolutionary weapons of World War I, inciting both terror and fascination for militaries and civilians alike. During the war, after U-boats sank the Lusitania and began daring attacks on shipping vessles off the East Coast, the American press dubbed these weapons "Hun Devil Boats," "Sea Thugs," and "Baby Killers." But at the conflict's conclusion, the U.S. Navy acquired six U-boats to study and to serve as war souvenirs. Until their destruction under armistice terms in 1921, these six U-boats served as U.S. Navy ships, manned by American crews. The ships visited eighty American cities to promote the sale of victory bonds and to recruit sailors, allowing hundreds of thouands of Americans to see up close the weapon that had so captured the public's imagination. In America's U-Boasts, Chris Dubbs examines the legacy of submarine warfare in the American imagination. Combining nautical adventure, military history, and underwater archaeology, Dubbs shares the previously untold story of German submarines and their impact on American culture and reveals their legacy and Americans' attitudes toward this new wonder weapon. --
9780803269460 9781322111056 9780803269477
World War, 1914-1918--Naval operations--Submarine. World War, 1914-1918--Prizes, etc. Submarines (Ships)--History--United States--20th century. Submarines (Ships)--History--Germany--20th century. World War, 1914-1918--Naval operations, American. World War, 1914-1918--Naval operations, German.