England's Distress: Postcard map of England and Ireland with the restricted zone Germany proclaimed around the islands, showing the ships destroyed by submarine in the 12 months beginning February 1, 1917.
Englands Not12 Monate uneingeschränktenU-Bootskrieges auf dem nördlichen See kriegsschauplatzAlle durch Minen und vor dem 1. Februar 1917 vernichteten Schiffe sind in dieser Karte nicht enthalten.SperrgebietsgrenzenBedeutet ein durch die Tätigkeit unserer U-Boote versenktes Schiffe ohne Berücksichtigung seine GrosseDie Eintragungen der Schiffe entsprechen dem Versunkungsort.England's distressUnqualified 12 monthsSubmarine warfare in the North Sea theaterAll ships destroyed by mines of before February 1, 1917 are not included in this map.restricted zone boundaries[Sunken ship symbol] indicates a ship sunk by the actions of our submarines without taking into account the size of the vessel. The records correspond to the ships' place of operations.Reverse:Auf Anregung Sr. Majestät des Kaisersi. Auftr. des Admiralstabes d. Rais. Marine zu Gunsten der Sinterbliebenen der Besatzungen von U-Booten, Minensuch- und Vorpostenbooten herausgegeben vom Verein für das Deutschtum im AuslandFaber'sche Buchdruckerei, Magdeburg.At the suggestion of His Majesty the Emperorhis commission of Naval Staff Rais d. Navy issued in favor of the sintering relatives of the crews of submarines, minesweepers and outpost boats by the Association for Germans abroadFaber'sche book printing, Magdeburg.
"In October 1916 Holtzendorff launched the restricted submarine campaign according to prize rules, which has been overshadowed by later events but was not devoid of results. Sinking had already risen sharply in September to 172 ships, representing 231,573 tons. This was largely due to the entry into service of the larger and more potent UB.II boats of the Flanders Flotilla, which could now operate well beyond the Channel into the western approaches or as far south as the Gironde. The Allied losses grew higher: in October 185 ships, 341,363 tons; in November 180 ships, 326,689 tons; in December 197 ships, 307,847 tons, and in January 1917, 195 ships, 328,391 tons. The Germans lost during this period only 10 boats (3 in the unhealthy Black Sea), giving an exchange ratio of 65 ships sunk for every U-boat lost."
Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff replaced Alfred Tirpitz as head of the German Admiralstab on September 6, 1916 in a dispute over the conduct of Germany's submarine campaign, expanding it, but not yet moving to the unrestricted submarine warfare of 1917. Flanders, on the English Channel, is a region of Belgium and northern France. Germany occupied nearly all of Belgium and nearly all of its coastline including the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge. The German U-boats were less successful in the Black Sea. The Gironde Estuary on France's southwest Atlantic coast is formed by the meeting of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers.
A Naval History of World War I by Paul G. Halpern, page 335, copyright © 1994 by the United States Naval Institute, publisher: UCL Press, publication date: 1994
1916-12-22, 1916, December, submarine, submarine warfare, Holtzendorff
