Category: Military Panics

• The "Submarine" Terror

  This theory claimed that invisible submarines or “boats no one could see” were responsible for unexplained sinkings throughout the Atlantic, especially in the early twentieth century when undersea warfare was still poorly understood by much of the public. It grew from the very real novelty of practical submarines, the secrecy surrounding naval development, and the dramatic tactical advantage of underwater attack. In rumor form, all missing ships could be folded into the same terrifying explanation: unseen craft were already ruling the sea.