Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War I)

Mediterranean U-boat Campaign
Part of the Mediterranean Theatre of World War I
Date 1914-October 1918 Location Mediterranean Sea Result Undecided at sea
Belligerents
Royal Navy  Regia Marina Other Allied navies	Austro-Hungarian Navy  Kaiserliche Marine  Ottoman Navy

The Mediterranean U-boat Campaign in the Mediterranean Sea was fought by Austria-Hungary and German Empire (with some support by the Ottoman Empire) against the Allies during World War I. It was characterised by the ability of the Central Powers to raid with near impunity during the first years of the war, causing substantial shipping losses, until the introduction of the convoy system allowed the Allies to drastically cut their losses from 1917 on.

At the outbreak of World War I, with Italy’s decision to remain neutral, the naval strength of the Central Powers was represented by the navy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the KuK Kriegsmarine, whose only access to the sea was through the Adriatic coast. The Entente powers moved swiftly to blockade the Adriatic, sending a fleet to take station at the straits of Otranto.

The initial phase of the U-boat campaign in the Mediterranean comprised the actions by the KuKs U-boat force against the French. At the start of hostilities, the KuK had seven U-boats in commission; five operational, two training; all were of the coastal type, with limited range and endurance, suitable for operation in the Adriatic.

Nevertheless, they had a number of successes. On 21 December 1914, U-12 torpedoed the French battleship Jean Bart, Admiral Lapeyrere's flagship. She was saved from sinking, but was forced to retire with a damaged bow. This setback dissuaded the French capital ships from penetrating too far into the Adriatic. On 27 April 1915, U-5 sank the French cruiser Léon Gambetta, with heavy loss of life.

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