This book by KELLY LYDON incorporates a lot of research that he did into World War I German U-Boat history. We will publish excerpts from this book on a monthly basis, but you can buy your own copy of this book- right away. Details at the end of this piece.

The following are intercepted U-boat reports to the Chief of the Admiralty staff in Berlin. They are as follows:

"August 20, 1917 - Official to Berlin Chief of Admiralty staff of the Navy. Month of July, 1917 - 811,000 gross tonnage shipping sunk. The total for the first half year of the unrestricted war reaches 5,495,000 gross tons."

"Berlin August 22 - new submarine successes in the - channel, Atlantic Ocean and North Sea, 3 sailing vessels and one fishing steamer. - among them French barque EMILIE GALLINE, 1,944 gross tons carrying saltpeter from France and British fishing steamer NARCISSUS."

"Berlin August 23 - West of the Straits of Gibraltar - six steamers sunk around 20,000 gross tons, carrying about 24,000 tons of coal which was consigned to Italy. Steamers sunk were armed British steamer MANCHESTER COMMERCE 4,1 l4 gross tons, the GANGES 4,177 gross tons and the armed Italian steamer CARLO 5,572 gross tons."

"In the Mediterranean, the tonnage of steamers and sailing vessels sunk represented over 43,000 gross tons. This included the armed Italian steamer LEALTA 4,021 gross tons with a cargo of munitions,. nie GENOA PA 3,486 gross tons, IZABEAN 3,892 gross tons carrying 6,000 tons of wheat from Australia to Italy.. Again several steamers were picked out from strong convoys."

"Berlin August 25 - New submarine successes in the barred waters around England: 20,000 gross register tons. Amongst the ships sunk were the armed English steamer ADALIA 3,847 tons with wood for England, an unknown steamer of at least 4,000 gross tons, and a heavily laden steamer with a course towards England; the latter was picked out from her convoy."'

It is significant to note that even during the second phase of unrestricted submarine warfare there were orders from Kommodore Herman Bauer (FdU) of the U-boats to bring in prizes. Germany was suffering from the British blockade and food riots had taken place in the major cities of Germany in 1916.

The following is a partial intercepted text from an order by Bauer on 19 January 1917.

SECRET: Bringing in of Prizes

I) The following communication has been received from the Admiralty Staff:

1) The bringing in of prizes is urgently desired if the undermentioned metals, raw materials are contained in any considerable quantities in the cargo:

Gold Platinum, Nickel Wolfram; Vanadium Chrome, Cooper, Tin, Quicksilver, Antimony Rubber, Balata of any kind, Ashestas, Wool Cotton, Fabrics of base fiber (hemp, jute, rainie) And their products (textiles of every kind, cordage etc.) Vegetable and animal fats and oils of every kind

2)Further, the bringing in of a ship is desirable -- when considerable quantities of the under-mentioned are on board

Foodstuffs and fodder, Leather and hides Arms, Shells, Gunpowder and explosives And products suitable for their manufacture War material of every kind Steel and iron wire, barbed wire Implements suitable for the manufacture of arms, ammunition & war material; industrial machinery and tool machinery of every kind Allores, Aluminum, Zinc, Lead, Resin Iron alloys, Colophony, mineral oils Sheet iron and steel for the construction of ships, Lubricating oils, oil fuel, gas oil

Signed - Admiralty Staff.

It seems Germany was short of everything and hoping to get it from the ships they stopped; much like the days of sea battles under sail.