The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-06
Famous Father of U-Boat
Influenza Victim at
Age of 81.
END COMES SUDDENLY
'RuthIeSSneSS' Campaign of
Admiral Blamed for
u. S. Entry in War.
BY FREDERICK KUN
United Press stan Correspondent

BERLIN, h1dTCn b.-AlITeQ Won
Trpitz. who was minister of the
imperial German navy during the
World war and who assumed re-
sponsibility for the German sub
marine warfare is dead.
Germany's noted sea warrior died
today at Ebenhausen. near Berlin.
where he had been resting follow
ing an influenza attack.
Won Tirpitz would have been 81
years old on March II. His death
had not been expected.
To the world the name Won Tir-
pitt was associated with submarine
warfare.
AS early as 1894 when he was a
commander in the German navy. he
came to the attention of the admir-
atty through a memorial to the gov
eminent in which he urged the con-
struction of $50 undersea ships.
His name reappeared twelve years
later. when he became Rear Ad-
miral Won Tirpitz, chief of the
cruiser division, and again sub
mitted a proposal for vast in
crease in the naval strength of his
country.
Interested Kaiser
Through influential friends he in
terested the kaiser in his project,
and this was the beginning OF an
aScendency over naval affairs in the
German empire that led him to the
highest naval command.
In 1897. Won Tirpitz was appoint
ed minister of marine, and began
the work which reached its cul-
mination in complete reorganiza-
ton of the navy and a climax in
- which the world later termed the
"ruthlessness' Of submarine war
fare. -----,.,a~,,.--.---..-
Tirpitz actually was the father of
the German prewar navy. and car
ried measure after measure through
a hostile parliament which more
than doubled the strength of the
feet between the years 1901 and
1877.
When war broke out in 1914 he
was considered one of the kaiSer's
closest advisers on the German
program for a grand offensive on
sea.
Germany's naval forces had been
built up to impressive size, when the
war storm broke
Little Room for Subs
At that time Trpitz policy had
been directed to heavier ships. and
his program, although extensive,
had little room for submarines.
Therefore, in 1914 the German
submarine fleet numbered scarcely
a score OF vessels.
Disasters to some of the German
high seas squadrons and the impos-
sibility Of matching the ponderous
fleets of the allies forced a change
in the naval campaign, however,
and from the beginning Of the war
the German naval director adYo-
Gated the ruthless submarine war
fare" which was later to drag
America into participation on the
side of the allies.
The phrase 'spurlos versenckt" -
sunk without a trace-waS on the
lips of many a high naval officer
I'm those days. as illustrative of the
thoroughness of the proposed cam
paign both against armed vessels
and merchantmen.
Admiral Won Tirpitz made light
of Americas entrance into the war,
declaring it "a phantom. He
scorned the suggestion of Won
Bethmann-H oilweg that America
might prove the stumbling block to
German success.
Effectiveness of the German sub
marine campaign was soon indicated
BY allied shipping reports. Sup
plies, both OF war material. and
food, for the nation arrayed against
Germany, began to dwlndle and
British and French statesmen made
no secret of the fact that If it con-
tinued. the populations of their
countries would be in critical
situation.
Resigned, Dissatisfied
The campaign, however. was not
sufficiently ruthless" enough to SAL
fy the high command, and in 19A6
Eon Tirpitz resigned on the grounds
hat he had failed to attain his
declaration of the need for unre-
ricted submarine warfare.
His appearance in the limelight
DO openly during the latter part of
he war probably was the greatest
solitical mistake of his career. Pre-
sViously. ne had moved quietly be-
hind the scenes. staging his prop
uganda from the cloak of his group
Of friends. He failed TO win the
CHARACTERISTIC because he had be-
come "too prominent" and had Gre
ated too many enemies within the
reich.
Like many others Of the high
command. he left Germany after
the kaiser's fall, and went to Switz-
erland. Later. when events had
quieted down and a more or less
conservative government had been
established in Germany. he re-
Vrned
AT IS Won Tirpitz resppeared on
the German political stage in 1924,
when he was elected delegate Of
the German national party to the
raschsfa1.