bobfoundit
Greenie
In the early days of World War 1 submarine warfare was conducted strictly on naval ships. After missing two British destroyers with torpedoes the enthusiastic U-17 commander Lieutenant Feldkirchner sighted the British merchant ship "Glitra" whose cargo was described as "sewing machines and whiskey". Steering alongside on the surface, she ordered the crew to her boats. A boarding crew from the U-boat sank the "Glitra" by opening her sea cocks.
This was the first time in history that a submarine had sunk a merchant ship. Although Lieutenant Feldkirchner had overstepped his orders and feared a court martial the commander-in-chief approved the procedure. The U-boat fleet in general was authorized to make mercantile captures. U-boats were equipped with machine guns, grenades and formal instructions for prize crews pertaining to contraband.
The "Glitra" was outbound from Grangemouth, Scotland with a destination of Stavanger, Norway. A Wikipedia page about her says she carried a cargo of coal, iron plate and oil. On page 34 of Lowell Thomas' book "Raiders of the Deep" Lieutenant Spiess describes the Glitra's cargo as "sewing machines and whiskey".
Because the "Glitra" was scuttled perhaps her contraband cargo sits peacefully on the sea floor off the coast of Norway just waiting for someone to pluck a few cases of 100 year old Scotch whisky from her hold
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Glitra
Location of the Glitra: steamer Glitra - Ships hit by U-boats - German and Austrian U-boats of World War One - Kaiserliche Marine - uboat.net
Description of Glitra carrying "coal and general cargo": BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS and FISHING VESSELS LOST, DAMAGED and ATTACKED by DATE, August 1914-December 1915
This was the first time in history that a submarine had sunk a merchant ship. Although Lieutenant Feldkirchner had overstepped his orders and feared a court martial the commander-in-chief approved the procedure. The U-boat fleet in general was authorized to make mercantile captures. U-boats were equipped with machine guns, grenades and formal instructions for prize crews pertaining to contraband.
The "Glitra" was outbound from Grangemouth, Scotland with a destination of Stavanger, Norway. A Wikipedia page about her says she carried a cargo of coal, iron plate and oil. On page 34 of Lowell Thomas' book "Raiders of the Deep" Lieutenant Spiess describes the Glitra's cargo as "sewing machines and whiskey".
Because the "Glitra" was scuttled perhaps her contraband cargo sits peacefully on the sea floor off the coast of Norway just waiting for someone to pluck a few cases of 100 year old Scotch whisky from her hold
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Glitra
Location of the Glitra: steamer Glitra - Ships hit by U-boats - German and Austrian U-boats of World War One - Kaiserliche Marine - uboat.net
Description of Glitra carrying "coal and general cargo": BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS and FISHING VESSELS LOST, DAMAGED and ATTACKED by DATE, August 1914-December 1915
