Famous torpedo attacks such as the sinking of Lusitania can obscure the record of German UC II mine-laying submarines. Sixty-four boats of the class sank more than 1,800 vessels, although forty-six UC IIs were themselves lost in combat. Their mines could be placed on convoy routes, outside ports, or in apparent gaps in enemy minefields, allowing a relatively small class to impose persistent danger without having to win every torpedo attack. Mines were a more mature technology than the still-developing Whitehead torpedo, so the UC II combined an old dependable weapon with submarine concealment.
Chapter · 47:37-50:27
Why German UC II minelayers mattered in the First World War
The UC II class combined mines, torpedoes, and guns, showing that mine warfare could be more dependable than early torpedoes.