An item dated Berlin, Germany 25th referred to a statement of the the German captain Bartenbach (1) who was during the First World War commanding officer of the German submarine bases in Flanders, Belgium. He denied that Germany had a submarine base in America neither that the German submarines active along the American coast were supported by auxiliary ships. Bartenbach was described as one of the major exports in the topic of submarine. Van origin an infantry officer joined he 13 years ago the submarine weapon and was the first commanding officer of a submarine namely the U 1. He was still in active service with an office in the admiralty at Berlin, Germany. The German submarines sent towards the USA were especially fitted out at Kiel, Germany and lacked any support underway. It were submarines of the cruiser model. The submarine commanded by Kopenhamel had been away for five months, arrived in the American waters in begin August 1918 and not cable to return to Kiel as in January 1919. Another submarine captain Vonnoskit also active along the American coast had been away for three months. Bartenbach told that the Laconia was sunk by Berger and the Lusitania by Schweiger, both officers however died during the war. In contrary to what the reporter believed said Bartenbach that the most of the lost submarines were not destroyed by depth charges. For each submarine lost by a depth charge were 3 destroyed by anchored mines. Bartenbach would not believe that any German submarine commanding officer ever fired at lifeboats while this was inhumane and stupid and further more useless spilling of ammunition.(1)
Note
1. Karl Arenac (29 November 1881 Böckingen-24 October 1949 Öhringen), who retire din the rank of vice admiral, who in fact served in the German navy since 12 April 1898 and since 1906 in the submarine service where he became commanding officer of the U 1 between Mbelgarch 1908-March 1910.
