German grand admiral Raeder and the German submarine warfar issie in the American press according to a report of the American Naval Attaché at Berlin, Germany Nr. R562 dated 15 September 1939

Diary note dated September 1939. An item reported that during the daily conference at the German Navy Ministry no news was supplied about naval activities. The attaché however received a copy of telegrams exchanged between Carl von Wiegand (1) at the Carlton Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands and grand admiral Raeder (2) and were to be transmitted by the American Embassy. Von Wiegand asked on 7 September Raeder for a statement for the press where the nearest German submarine was when the Athenia (3) was torpedoed, what the attitude of the German Navy Department towards American ships was and finally which orders received German submarines how to handle with American ships. The next day Raeder reacted stating that he was satisfied with the chance to clarify in the American press the attitude and far more how to deal with the “abominable lie” thet the British passenger ship Athenia underway from Canada to England was torpedoed without a warning. He referred to the official statement of the German Navy Department the same dealing with this affaire. For understandable security reasons he could not supply exact positions of German submarines except for that the nearest submarine was on a distance of 170 nautical miles. The entire German armed forces including the submarine commanders received the strickest instructions to act conform international law and treaties and to respect the rights of neutral ships. How to handle with ships under the commerce war was described in the German prize rules. No doubt were merchants ships of the neutral USA not in danger as long as they dit not oppose the prize rules.

Notes

1. Karl Henry von Wiegand (11 September 1874 Glaam, Germany-7 June 1961 Zürich, Switzerland), American journalist and war corrrespondent, in 1939 working for Hearst newspapers.

2. Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 Wandsbek, Germany 6 November 1960 Kiel, Germany), head of the German Naval Command 1 October 1928-1 June 1935 and chief of the German Navy High Command 1 June 1935-30 January 1943.

3. Torpedoed around 200-230 miles west of the Hebrides without a warning by the German submarine U 30 on 3 September 1939. She was underway from Glasgow, Scotland towards Montreal, Canada. British passenger ship built in 1923.

Source

National Archives. FDR Presidential Library&Museum Roosevelt PSFC000175. War diary Naval Attaché Berlin, volume 1 (1 September 1939-26 May 1940)