Exaggerated sarcasm frames the discussion of cables linking Germany with neutral countries during World War I. Storms and underwater accidents can provide a ready explanation even when damage bears signs of deliberate cutting. Seabed communications infrastructure therefore offered both an operational target and a problem of attribution. Cable warfare could combine physical naval action with plausible deniability.
Notable Point · 58:48-1:00:12
Cable cutting under cover of maritime accidents
A joking denial illustrates how severed cables could isolate an enemy while the responsible navy hid behind the ambiguity of underwater damage.