At the beginning of the war in August 1914, Germany had about 20 operational U-boats in its High Seas Fleet, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Hermann Bauer as Commander of U-boats (Führer der Unterseeboote, FdU). Their forward base was the fortified island of Heligoland, and as soon as hostilities with Russia started, they were deployed in a defensive screen in the North Sea on 1st August.
On the bridge of SM U-9, lying in wait on the surface on this first sunset of the war, Kptlt. Otto Weddigen remarked to his First Watch Officer, Johannes Spieß:
"Spieß, look how red the sky is. The whole world seems to be bathed in blood. Mark my words - England will declare war on us."
These were Prophetic words which came true three days later, when the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland declared war on the German Empire on 4th August.
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