nt impatient messages to the Kaiser, one of them stating: “The United States intends to hold the Imperial Germany Government to strict accountability… and to secure for American citizens full enjoyment of their rights on the high seas.” (Stewart, p. 20) The German government was often sympathetic and apologized for attacking Americans. (Stewart, p. 20) In some cases the Kaiser offered to replace American ships. The Germans explained that a state of war existed. U-boat attacks became less frequent but soon began again. Wilson sent a telegram to the Kaiser stating that “unless the attacks stopped completely the United States would have no choice but to cut off all relations with Germany.” (Stewart, p. 23) For Germany the worst aspect of this whole sheered was the hardening of American opinion against her. (Terrain, p. 167)A feeling of complacency became evident in the Admiralty (British navy) because now few sinkings were occurring and even Churchill bragged that “the failure of the German submarine campaign” was evident to the whole world. Defense measures (nets, patrols, and sweeps carrying explosive charges) were taking their toll on the small U-boat forces. There were even early experiments with submerged acoustics and depth charges that were already showing favorable results by May 1915. A total of seven U-boats had been lost before the opening of the unrestricted campaign, March being one of the best months for U-boat killings. U-8 got caught in the Dover nets, and on March 18, 1915 the Dreadnought succeeded in ramming the U-12, commanded by Korvetten-Kapitan Weddigen, who had sunk the Aboukir, Hogue, and Cressy. (Hugh, p. 175) “The Fourth Battle Squadron, exercising off the Pentland Firth spotted a hostile submarine, and by brilliant maneuvering the Dreadnought succeeded in ramming her. She revealed her identity when her bows rose high out of the water before her fatal pl...
