Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:40:31-1:41:04

How HMS Dreadnought sank a submarine by ramming

HMS Dreadnought's wartime kill came when she rammed a German submarine, an unusual anti-submarine success for the battleship that transformed naval design.

Anti-Submarine WarfareDreadnoughtsHMS Dreadnought 1906SubmarinesWorld War I
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Question

Did HMS Dreadnought achieve a combat kill during the First World War?

Short answer

Yes. She sank a German submarine by ramming it, giving the battleship one successful anti-submarine engagement.

Notes

HMS Dreadnought is remembered for making earlier battleships obsolete, yet her wartime success came against a submarine. The ship is jokingly credited with a perfect anti-submarine record because she engaged one U-boat and secured one kill. Dreadnought used her own bow as the weapon and rammed the submarine. The episode links the iconic battleship with the emerging undersea war in an unusual way.