In the meeting of the British War Cabinet on Friday 25 May 1917 referred the First Sea Lord (1) to a conversation with the captain of the German submarine SMS U 93. (2) The captain supplied him some details about the building of submarines in his country where all shipbuilding resources were used for building 20 submarines each month resulting in around 300 commissioned submarines. Getting crews was not a problem. Sailors of the High Sea Fleet got a special training of 2 months combined with a cruise with a submarine during three weeks and the naval staff claiming that the men were competent to serve on a submarine.
Notes
1. John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe (5 December Southampton, England 1859-Kensington London, England 20 November 1935), served in the Royal Navy between 1872-1919 ending his career in the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, First Sea Lord between 30 November 1916 and 10 January 1918 and commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. Governor-General of New Zealand 27 September 1920-12 December 1924.
2. The building of the U-93 was ordered on 15 September 1915, laid down with yard number 257 by Germaniawerft, Kiel, Germany on 12 January 1916, launched on 15 December 1916, commissioned on 10 February 1917 and lost in January 1918. On 30 April 1917 she got involved in a fight with the British Q-ship HMS Prize and by which occasion her captain and 2 crew members went over board. Her captain at that moment was Edgar von Spiegel von und zu Peckelsheim and was during the rest of the First World War prisoner of war in the United Kingdom.
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