The German pirate

In Short

This collection of contemporary reports and sworn testimonies documents the conduct of German U-boat commanders from 1914 to 1917. By chronicling the repeated sinking of merchant vessels, trawlers, and neutral relief ships without warning, the text argues that the German naval strategy intentionally abandoned international law in favor of a doctrine of "frightfulness." It serves as a stark, journalistic indictment of submarine warfare, capturing the era’s immediate outrage toward the destruction of the "Brotherhood of the Sea" and the deliberate targeting of non-combatants, including women and children.

The Story

The narrative begins by establishing the historical context of maritime life, a sphere where sailors of all nations traditionally observed a "manly freemasonry." This bond, built on the mutual duty to provide assistance to any ship in distress, is presented as the primary casualty of the submarine war. The book traces the transformation of the high seas into a theater of calculated violence, where the submarine commander evolves from a sailor into a figure of terror.

The arc of the story follows the escalating ruthlessness of German naval operations. Early reports describe the looting of trawlers and the seizure of basic provisions—flour, sugar, and clocks—before the vessels were scuttled. As the war progresses, however, the accounts shift from petty theft to systemic lethality. The narrative details the sinking of passenger liners like the Sussex, the Laconia, and the Lusitania, often without any warning or provision for the safety of passengers. The text highlights a recurring pattern: the torpedoing of ships while moving at full speed, the shelling of lifeboats, and the abandonment of survivors to the mercy of the elements or the predation of sharks.

A recurring theme is the profound cynicism of the German state. The book presents diplomatic exchanges—such as those involving the sinking of the Dutch steamer Katwijk—to demonstrate how the German government would issue apologies for "accidents" while simultaneously publishing propaganda in its own press to shift blame onto the victims. The narrative culminates in the exposure of the "sinking without a trace" policy, exemplified by the disappearance of vessels like the North Wales and the Belgian Prince. The final accounts focus on the inhumanity of commanders who refused to rescue drowning survivors, even when doing so posed no risk to their own vessel, and the use of undercover spies embedded within neutral ship crews to identify targets for U-boats. The book concludes with the assertion that these actions were not merely the result of rogue actors, but the logical application of a state-sanctioned doctrine that elevated the "greatness" of the German people above all moral or international obligations.

How It Unfolds

The loss of honor The opening section establishes the traditional, chivalrous code of the sea and laments its destruction by the arrival of the German submarine. It contrasts the noble history of mariners with the cold, scientific efficiency of the U-boat service.

The shift to violence Initial encounters involving British trawlers transition from simple looting to the intentional killing of crews. The text documents the move toward "frightfulness," where the objective is clearly to strike fear into the civilian population.

The targeting of neutrals The middle chapters expose the contradiction between German diplomatic promises and the reality of attacks on neutral relief ships. Evidence, including fragments of torpedoes found in hulls, is used to disprove German denials of culpability.

The apex of cruelty The narrative recounts incidents where survivors in open boats were shelled or left to drift in freezing conditions. It details harrowing experiences of men and women left to die, and the chilling refusal of commanders to offer even basic humanitarian aid.

The final indictment The concluding pages synthesize these accounts into a broader argument about the German state. It presents the U-boat commander as the emblem of a national policy that systematically ignored the laws of war and basic human decency.

The People

The central figure is the U-boat commander, who appears as an archetype of ruthless efficiency. He is motivated by a cold, bureaucratic adherence to "frightfulness," a doctrine preached by nationalist leaders like General von Bernhardi. He stands in opposition to the traditional mariner, viewing the law of the sea as an obstacle to be bypassed or mocked. By the end, he is depicted as a man stripped of common morality, for whom the murder of civilians is a routine part of his program.

Arrayed against him are the merchant seamen and civilians, represented by figures like the master of the Eavestone or survivors of the Thracia. They desire only the safety of their crews and the continuation of their livelihoods. Their primary obstacle is the total lack of warning afforded by the submarines. While they represent the "Brotherhood of the Sea," they are transformed into helpless victims of a conflict that ignores their status as non-combatants.

Finally, the Imperial German Government acts as the ideological shadow behind the submarine periscope. Through its diplomatic notes and propaganda, it attempts to justify the slaughter as necessary for German greatness. Its representatives, like Count Luxburg, are shown directing the destruction of ships "without a trace," proving that the cruelty on the waves was a top-down mandate rather than merely the temperament of individual sailors.

In Its Own Voice

"Not until the coming of the German submarine commander was the Brotherhood of the Sea destroyed."

The author introduces the central conflict by arguing that the arrival of the U-boat shattered the centuries-old ethical code of maritime life.

"To sink a ship while proceeding at full speed is equivalent to murder, and, as in other similar cases, this was unnecessary murder."

The text provides this assessment after recounting the torpedoing of the Simla in the Mediterranean.

"The U-boat's mission is to sink this or that ship, but the U-boat commander appears to delight in adding murder to his daily programme."

This observation follows the description of the sinking of the Van Stirum on Christmas Day.

What It's Really About

This book is a study in the collapse of moral boundaries during total war. It argues that the "mad doctrine of frightfulness," fostered in German schools and pulpits, effectively turned technology into a tool of barbarism. The fundamental question it poses is whether an entity that rejects the shared customs of humanity can still be considered a member of the civilized world. By focusing on the specific destruction of international law, the book asserts that there is a profound difference between the hazards of war and the premeditated, unnecessary killing of defenseless people. It is a cautionary tale about how nationalist ideology can poison the professional conduct of even those in highly technical, disciplined roles.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of naval warfare or the evolution of military propaganda will find this an evocative primary source. It does not possess the detachment of a modern history book; rather, it is a product of its time, pulsing with the righteous indignation and the stark, binary morality of 1918. The language is sharp and journalistic, though the reader should be prepared for the intense, period-specific vitriol directed at the German state.

The book feels like a long, mournful report from a front line that was not a trench, but the cold, vast surface of the Atlantic. What stays with the reader is the chilling contrast between the mundane details of a ship's manifest—the flour, the treacle, the clocks—and the sudden, violent finality of a torpedo strike. It is a demanding read, not because of its complexity, but because of its relentless accumulation of tragedy. It is a testament to the fragility of international norms and a reminder of how quickly the "fellowship" between nations can be sacrificed to the demands of total war. For those willing to engage with the raw, unfiltered anger of a society in the midst of a global cataclysm, it offers a haunting look into the darkness that characterized the U-boat campaign.