Ge man Subma ine wa in Po uguese Wa e s:
Esposende – a Smuggling Ne wo k
Miguel Cas o B andão
Uni e si y o Opo o, Po ugal
Email: [email p o ec ed]
We belie e ha he smuggling ne wo k ha occu ed in Esposende was no
jus abou an isola ed wa episode, bu a social/economical consequence o he
Ge man subma ine wa in he Po uguese sho es. Acco ding o ou in es iga ions and
his o ical documen analysis, we belie e ha se e al Po uguese/Spanish smuggling
ne wo ks lou ished, especially alongside he Ibe ian coas , and aded goods and
supplies wi h Ge man subma ine c ews by aking ad an age o he lack o igilance in
hese coas al a eas. We ha e e y good e idences ha ake us o belie e ha his
occu ence could happen all along he Ibe ian coas , in spi e o se e al di icul ies o
p o e conside ing he lack o documen al sou ces. The Po uguese and Spanish
his o iog aphy men ions his phenomenon, bu ne e wen deepe in o his subjec ,
s a ing only ha we e cons an umou s and sigh ings acco ding o he sou ces o he
ime. In his a icle he eade can ha e access o ou pe spec i e, and also e lec
abou he Ge man subma ine ac i i y a ound he Ibe ian coas , pa icula ly he
Po uguese one.
1. Ge man Subma ine Ac i i y in he Po uguese sho es
I ’s no he aim o his a icle o pa icula ize he ac i i y Ge man subma ines
in he G ea Wa con ex a ound he Po uguese coas , bu we hink ha is impo an
o men ion he cha ac e is ics o Ge man ope a ions in his a ea, as well as some o
hei mos impo an a acks. Po ugal en e ed in he wo ld con lic by many easons,
bu mos o he Po uguese his o iog aphy ag ees ha he cap u e and con isca ion o
he 72 Ge man ships, a 23 Feb ua y 1916, ha had aken e uge in Po uguese po s
since he beginning o he wa , was he b eaking poin be ween Ge man-Po uguese
2
diplomacy
1
. Impe ial Ge many decla ed wa on Po ugal a 9 h Ma ch 1916 in
esponse o his ac . The cap u e o hese ships was equi ed by G ea B i ain, and he
B i ish p oposal was accep ed in Belém Palace, Lisbon, on 5 h Feb ua y 1916
2
. O he
coun ies like Po ugal en e ed in he con lic in a e y simila si ua ion; i ’s he case
o B azil and Pe u ha cap u ed Ge man ships in he name o he B i ish s a egic
diplomacy
3
. Acco ding o he au ho Ma c Fe o, since he beginning o he con lic ,
abou 743 Ge man ships we e ancho ed in neu al wa e s
4
, 72 o hem, acco ding o
Oli ei a Ma ques
5
, in mainland Po ugal and his colonies. By c uising he numbe s o
bo h au ho s we can say ha 10 % o hese ships we e ac ually e uge in Po uguese
po s, which con i ms, in some way, he geog aphical and s a egic impo ance o he
Po uguese coas , which con e ge he ollowing ou e axis A lan ic-Medi e anean-
Gul o Biscay. The onnage o he Ge man ships ancho ed in Po ugal was he double
o he Po uguese me chan na y be o e he wa ha only had 138.000 ons in
shipping
6
. This ac made he Po uguese and B i ish au ho i ies e y in e es ed in he
cap u e o hese ships, which could p o ide a signi ican p o ision o ships o bo h
coun ies.
In he beginning o 1915, Ge man subma ine ope a ions expanded o o he
s ages o wa , including he Medi e anean, he Biscayan Gul and he A lan ic Ocean,
which changed he s a egy o he Allied na ies. In he eyes o he E en e Co diale
pe spec i e, Po ugal had c ucial key poin s in he A lan ic (Madei a, Azo es and
Cape Ve de), which could p o ide supply bases, and mili a y coo dina ion cen es
down he A lan ic. In 1915, he Ge man admi al Wol gang Wegene w o e h ee
epo s abou Ge man na al s a egy, by sugges ing an un es ic ed U-boa campaign.
1
Especially he colonial i al ies in A ica (Po uguese colonies o Angola and Mozambique made
on ie wi h Ge man Namibia and Tanganyika), since he la e XIX cen u y, c ea ed se e al diploma ic
ensions be ween Po ugal and he colonial expansionis policy o Impe ial Ge many. E en be o e
Po ugal en e ed o icially in he wa agains Ge many, Ge man oops a acked Po uguese pos s
alongside he colonial on ie .
2
G ea B i ain and he Po uguese epublican au ho i ies ag eed ha 80 % o hese ships would be sen
o B i ish wa e o , and Po ugal would ha e only 20 % o hem. Some o hese ships we e des oyed
by Ge man subma ines in ou e o B i ish po s.
3
Rui Ramos, “His ó ia de Po ugal”; A República Po uguesa du an e a Gue a (1917-1926). In
His ó ia de Po ugal ed. José Ma oso, His ó ia de Po ugal, ol. 8, (Lisboa: A Es e a dos Li os,
2009), p. 449.
4
Ma c Fe o, A G ande Gue a 1914-1918 (Lisboa: Edições 70, 1990), p.144.
5
A. H. de Oli ei a Ma ques, His ó ia de Po ugal (Lisboa: Palas Edi o a, 1986), p.235.
6
An ónio José Telo, P imei a República – Do Sonho à Realidade (Lisboa: A es G á icas, 2010),
p.335.
3
In his epo s Wegene highligh ed he s a egic alue o he Biscayan Gul and he
coas al a eas adjacen o Azo es and Cape Ve de, and p oposes ha Ge man
subma ines should ocus hei ope a ions on hese same a eas
7
. Fo he Ge man
admi al, aking Azo es and Cape Ve de was an un eliable hypo hesis, bu should be a
g an ed acquisi ion in u u e peace ea ies wi h he Allies
8
.
A e Po ugal en e ed on he wa , Ge man subma ines s a ed o mine Tajo’s
i e mou h, ying o asphyxia e comme cial ou es om Lisbon po , in he sp ing o
1916
9
. Po uguese Na y had no esou ces o igh Ge man ac i i y, o a ious
easons. The poli ical c isis ins alled in Po ugal, since he alling o he Po uguese
mona chy, in 1910, was omen ed by nume ous epublican ac ions ha couldn’
make a du able adminis a ion suppo ed by he pa liamen . This aspec , alongside he
economic and inancial c isis, wea ied ou he Po uguese poli ical, economic and
mili a y ins i u ions, including he Na y. The Na y had only ou c uise s, wo
des oye s, and one subma ine
10
and a ew mo e han en gunboa s in easonable
condi ions o gi e some s uggle o Ge man o ensi es by his ime
11
. The Na y
A senal
12
wo ked e y slowly o p oduce mo e na al uni s, conside ing he ac ha
Ge man ships, cap u ed in Po uguese po s on he 23 h Feb ua y1916, we e
sabo aged by hei c ews and needed epai s. I was also e y di icul o he Na y o
impo new ma e ials om he Allies o epai hese ships. So he Po uguese
Admi al y complemen ed i s numbe s by eques ing ci ilian boa s
13
and some o he
Ge man cap u ed ships in o de o aise he Na y’s numbe s. By June 1916, Po ugal
had new uni s cen ed especially in Lisbon, some Alga e bases and Leixões po
7
An ónio José Telo, P imei a República – Do Sonho à Realidade, p.330.
8
Ibid.
9
Rui Ca doso e al., A P imei a Gue a Mundial. Li o Ex a sob e a Pa icipação de Po ugal
(Lisboa: A Es e a dos Li os, 2014), p.74.
10
Po ugal was one o he i s na ions o ha e a mode n subma ine, by holding i s i s uni by 1913.
The subma ine Espada e was he i s example a he Po uguese Na y se ice. I was buil in I aly, in
La Spezia shipya ds.
11
Sa u nino Mon ei o, Ba alhas e Comba es da Ma inha Po uguesa. Volume VII – 1808-1975, ol. 8.
(Lisboa: Li a ia Sá da Cos a Edi o a, 1997), p.121.
12
The A senal Na y, se led in Lisbon, su e ed a i e a 18 h Ap il 1916.
13
Some nau ical clubs ga e hei yach s and boa s o he Na y in change o mili a y exemp ion.
4
(Opo o), including imp o ised apou s, gunboa s and Tagus i e galleons
14
. The
Na y coun ed also wi h six mode n Ge man ships, now wi h Po uguese names.
As wa wen on, Po ugal s a ed ecei ing some aid om he Allies,
especially wi h he new balance o powe in he Medi e anean when I aly joined he
Allies, in he middle o 1915
15
. I was he F ench go e nmen ha i s demons a ed
some in e es in p o ec ing he Po uguese coas , hus ensu ing i s connec ions
Medi e anean and A lan ic seas. In la e 1916, F ance eques ed, nea he Po uguese
go e nmen , he es ablishmen o auxilia y bases on i s sho e, as will be shown in
1917, pa icula ly in Leixões, A ei o and Alga e coas
16
. In Sep embe 28, 1917,
F ench and he Po uguese mili a y adminis a ions c ea ed he Ma i ime A ia ion
Cen e o Lisbon, in Bom Sucesso dock, nex o he Belém Towe
17
. The F ench
would be esponsible o he de ense o he po o Leixões (Opo o) and also
ins alled, in May 1918, a seaplane base in San Jacin o (nea A ei o) wi h eigh ai c a
uni s
18
. Wi h en ance o he US in o he con lic , on Ap il 6 h 1917, he con ol o he
A lan ic became i al, in o de o allow he c ossing o he Ame ican oops o F ench
po s. In addi ion o he F ench de ensi e help, Po ugal also ecei ed Ame ican aid in
he Azo es. The Ame ican Admi al y, a e a dialogue wi h London, app o ed he
ins alla ion o a mili a y base in he Azo es, in he second hal o 1917. In la e May
1917, Ame icans begin he ac ual ins alla ion o a mili a y base, and subsequen ly
deposi ed a ound 10,000 ons o coal o supply ships ha we e c ossing he A lan ic
by his ime
19
.
14
Anice o A onso, and Ca los de Ma os Gomes, Po ugal e a G ande Gue a 1915-1917. As
T inchei as (Vila do Conde: Ve so da His ó ia, 2014), p.56.
15
An ónio José Telo, P imei a República – Do Sonho à Realidade, p.330.
16
Ibid.
17
Anice o A onso, and Ca los de Ma os Gomes, Po ugal e a G ande Gue a 1915-1917. As
T inchei as, p.60.
18
Ibid.
19
An ónio José Telo, Os Aço es e o Con olo do A lân ico (1898/1948), (Lisboa: Edições Asa, 1993),
p.110.
5
2. Ge man O ensi es in he Po uguese sho es 1916-1918
A Ap il 17 h, a Ge man mine sank he No wegian ship Te je Vikken, nea
Cascais
20
. This mine was d opped by U-73 when on ansi o he Medi e anean. She
was he i s ship ha sank o he Po uguese coas by Ge man ac ion. Bu 1916 had
some mo e signi ican Ge man a acks in his a ea. One o he bigges ships sunk in
he G ea Wa
21
, he F ench d eadnough Su en, displacing 12.750 ons, knew his
des iny o he Po uguese coas , when on ou e o F ance a e he Allied o ensi e in
he Da danelles. A 25 h No embe , he U-52 subma ine, commanded by Hans
Wal he , o pedoed he ship causing 648 dea hs, and had no su i o s
22
.
In Decembe 1916, Ge man subma ines a acked Cape Ve de and Madei a.
F om he docks o Ca a o, in he Aus o-Hunga ian Empi e, he U-38, commanded by
Max Valen ine , a acked Funchal, in Madei a, in 3 h Decembe . P obably one o he
mos well documen ed Ge man a acks in he Po uguese sho es, as we can ha e
access o Valen ine ’s pe spec i e abou he same a ack in he book La Te eu des
Me s: Mes A en u es en Sous-Ma in 1914-1918
23
. Be lin expec ed ha Max
Valen ine would ind a nume ous B i ish lee in Funchal, bu only sunk ou ships;
e en so he was gi en a Pou Le Mé i e medal by he Kaise o his a ack
24
. In he
nex day, a subma ine was spo ed nea he S. Vicen e po , in Cape Ve de.
Po uguese coas al a ille y ga e some sho s and i was enough o he Ge man
wi hd aw
25
. The a ack on Funchal con i med he Allied ea s abou he U-boa
g owing p esence and unp edic abili y on he A lan ic, has he En en e Co diale
admi al ies suspec ed
26
. I was a e y se ious sign o wha was going o occu in he
A lan ic nex yea .
1917, he yea o Ge man subma ine wa zeni h, globally speaking, was
no o ious in he Po uguese coas . In his same yea , he onnage o unloaded goods in
20
Paulo Cos a, Te je Vikken. Accessed Augus 28, 2016.
h p://www.po ugal1914.o g/po al/p /his o ia/a-gue a-1914-1918/i em/6923- e je- iken/.
21
Ships hi du ing WW1. Accessed Augus 28, 2016. h p://www.uboa .ne /wwi/ships_hi /5825.h ml/.
22
Ma in Gilbe , A P imei a Gue a Mundial, ol. 4 (Lisboa: A Es e a dos Li os, 1994), p.26.
23
Max Valen ine , La Te eu des Me s:Mês A en u es en Sous-Ma in (Pa is: Payo , 1931).
24
Ibid, p.123.
25
Anice o A onso, and Ca los de Ma os Gomes, Po ugal e a G ande Gue a 1915-1917. As
T inchei as, p.60.
26
R. H. Gibson and Mau ice P ende gas , The Ge man Subma ine Wa (1914-1918) (London: Na al
Ins i u e P ess, 1931), p.134.

6
Po uguese po s ep esen ed only 20 % o 1913’s o al onnage
27
. To ha e a good
pe spec i e o he de e io a ion o Po uguese po s supply lines, we could look o he
whea impo a ion. Po ugal impo ed 182.000 ons in 1916 ( ep esen ing hal o he
in e n ma ke consume) and had only access o 55.000 ons in 1917
28
. In 1916, he
po o Lisbon egis e ed he en y o 2.521 ships (4.298.800 b u e ons), ha unloaded
1.336.936 ons in goods, and on he nex yea only 1.455 ships (1.858.135 b u e ons)
deli e ed 603.635 ons in his po
29
. In his same yea Ge man subma ines sunk abou
104 ships on he Po uguese coa s, ep esen ing 1.467.161 ons app oxima ely
30
. Mos
o hem we e B i ish and No wegian ships
31
. Po uguese wa e s expe ienced he
en ance o he U-151 class (ex-Deus chland) in A lan ic na al wa s age, inc easing
he ope a ional ange o he Ge man ope a ions.
On Ma ch 17 h Ge man subma ines a acked ou Po uguese ishing ships nea
Roca Cape, and acco ding o he jou nal O Comé cio do Po o he a ack was
conduc ed by wo Ge man subma ines, one om he no h and o he om he sou h.
This a ack le a ound one hund ed men as cas aways, which we e sa ed by pa ol
boa s om Lisbon
32
. The book The Ge man Pi a e – His Me hods and Reco d
33
ells
he expe iences o a Ge man c ewmembe ha pa icipa ed in his a ack, wi h he
pseudonymous Ajax. In his desc ip ion Ajax s a ed ha Ge man c ews expelled
Po uguese ishe men om he boa s, and sacked he ships by aking ish and clo hs
a e h ea ening hem wi h pis ols
34
. This eco d gi es us an idea abou how Ge man
subma ine c ews ob ained esh goods and supplies in high sea.
On 24 h Ap il, commanding U-35, Lo ha on A nauld de la Pe iè e sunk ou
ships nea Sag es, Alga e: he Danish ca go ship No dsöen
35
, he No wegian ships
27
Rui Ramos, “His ó ia de Po ugal”; A República Po uguesa du an e a Gue a (1917-1926), p. 449.
28
Ibid.
29
Ana P a a, Polí icas Po uá ias na I República (1880-1929), (Lisboa: Caleidoscópio, 2011), p.111.
30
Miguel Cas o B andão, “(Con)Vi e com o Inimigo –A A i idade Subma ina Alemã du an e a
P imei a Gue a Mundial – In e ações na cos a de Esposende”, (Mas e Thesis, Uni e si y o Opo o,
2015), p.72.
31
G ea B i ain was he na ion ha los mos ships in he Po uguese wa e s, du ing 1916-1918 pe iods,
wi h a o al loss o 33 ships.
32
O Comé cio do Po o, (Po o) Ma ch 20, 1917, p.4.
33
Ajax, The Ge man Pi a e – His Me hods and Reco d, (New Yo k, Geo ge H. Do an Company,
1918), p. 18.
34
O Comé cio do Po o (Po o), Ma ch 20, 1917, p.4.
35
A e been s opped by a ew sho s om U-35, he Ge mans pu some explosi es in he ship
basemen , a e he c ew lea ing. This i s in e en ion didn’ sunk he ship in he i s place, and i
d i ed o he coas . The Ge mans came la e o sunk de ini ely he ship, nea Sag es, Alga e. The e is
no consensus be ween Po uguese au ho s abou Ge man landing in he Po uguese coas , in a emp o
7
Vilhelm K ag and To o e, and he I alian sailing essel Bieneimé P o . Luigi
36
. On
he same day, U-35 also sha ed some sho s wi h o he ships: he Po uguese awle
Galgo
37
; h ee Spanish ca go ships: La Cas eja, Ca aluña and T iana
38
; and he
F ench ship Ca a ellas
39
. Po uguese au ho s like Augus o Salgado, Jo ge Russo
40
and Paulo Cos a (websi e a icles)
41
de eloped new s udies abou his a ack, and we
can ac ually ha e a e y good pe spec i e abou U-35’s ac i i y in his pa icula day.
The e is also ilming eco ds abou his occu ence, used o p oduce he 1917’s
Ge man p opaganda ilm De magische G ü el. This singula episode shows ha
Ge man subma ines didn’ had opponen s in he Po uguese wa e s, and how
ulne able was he Po uguese coas . A e his day, Lo ha ’s ammuni ion s ock was
e y low; and he decided o e u n o U-35’s base, in he Medi e anean, a i ing a
Ca a o on 6 h May 1917
42
.
On 4 July 1917, he U-155 a acked Pon a Delgada, in he Azo es. The
Ge man subma ine ac ion in he A lan ic and Azo es was no o ious a e he en ance
o Uni ed S a es in he wa
43
. In a emp o des oy he coal s o age in Pon a Delgada’s
po , as Max Valen ine ied in Funchal on Decembe 3 h 1916, Ka l Meussel
bomba ded he ci y and he po acili ies. Po uguese coas al a ille y simply had no
ange o s op Meussel’s bomba dmen , bu he Ame ican ca go ship O ion ha was in
a e y good de ensi e posi ion and ough back. U-155 wi hd ew a sho ime a e .
The e we e no signi ican damages in he ci y, and only one li le gi l died and h ee
women we e wounded
44
. Locals and he Po uguese au ho i ies celeb a ed he
sunk he ship wi h explosi es. Some epo s in Po uguese jou nals also con i m ha some ci ilians
we e nea his inciden , and epulse by he Ge mans. The wa dia y o he subma ine commande
epo s his aspec .
36
A chaeological wi nesses o hese w ecks a e been s udied and p o ec ed by he U-35 P ojec , by
CINAV (Po uguese Na y Resea ch Cen e).
37
This Po uguese ship had a b ie igh wi h U-35, and sa ed a ound se en y cas aways om he sea.
38
The ship T iana ac ually was damaged a e U-35’s sho s. All h ee Spanish ships we e inspec ed and
eleased by U-35’s c ew.
39
This ship sho agains he Ge man subma ine, bu u ned away a e a ew momen s.
40
Augus o Salgado e al., P ojec U-35. Rela ó io de T abalhos 2014, (Lisboa: CINAV, 2014).
41
“Po ugal 14 18”, accessed 27 Augus , 2016, h p://www.po ugal1914.o g/po al/p /.
42
Fi s Wo ld Wa U-boa – A Guide o he Video (De Magische (The Enchan ed Ci ce) (1917) and
he Exploi s o Ge man Subma ine (U-35) Ope a ing in he Medi e anean (1919), (London: Loyd’s
Regis e o Shipping on behal o he Impe ial Wa Museum, 2000), p.127.
43
An ónio José Telo, Homens, Dou ina e O ganização: 1824-1974, (Lisboa: Academia de Ma inha,
1999), p.275.
44
Jaime do Inso, Ma inha Po uguese na G ande Gue a, (Lisboa: Edições Cul u ais da Ma inha,
2006), p.69.
8
Ame ican O ion c ew, including he go e no ha sen le e s o he Ame ican consul
in Po ugal, hanking his ac ion
45
.
Mo e Ge man signi ican a acks we e no o ious in he las mon hs o 1917.
On 2 No embe , Waldema Khopamel, commanding U-151, a acked wo B azilian
ca go ships a S. Vicen e po ha ca ied huge co ee ca gos
46
. On 12 Decembe , he
Ge mans bomba ded Funchal again, by E ich Eckelmann aboa d U-155. Ge mans
made some signi ican damages in he ci y, killing i e people and wounded se e al
ci ilians
47
. One o he subma ine sho s damaged San a Cla a chu ch
48
.
E en d ama ic, 1918 showed a so ening subma ine ac i i y in he Po uguese
wa e s, bu hey con inued a p i a ee ing wa s a egy. The e ec i eness o he
con oy sys em, c ea ed by he Allies, was el , wi h he educ ion o he numbe o
casual ies a sea. Al hough he yea 1918 shows a signi ican numbe o shipw ecks,
Ge man s opped he a acks on ci ies o Po uguese mili a y bases in he A lan ic.
P obably he mos signi ican episode, in 1918, was he comba be ween he
a med awle Augus o de Cas ilho agains Lo ha ’s on A nauld de la Pe iè e’s U-
139, on 14 Oc obe 1918, no a om Azo es
49
. This comba has been he mos
men ioned comba in he Po uguese his o iog aphy, and p obably one o he mos
documen ed. In a emp o p o ec ing he passenge ship S. Miguel, he Augus o
Cas ilho ied o dis ac U-139, in a e y un ai igh , conside ing he Ge man
a ille y supe io i y. The U-155 could simply shoo agains he Po uguese awle ou
o ange, wi h 155 mm deck guns
50
. A e a ie ce igh he Po uguese awle
su ende , soon a e he dea h o he commandan Ca alho A aújo and pa o he
c ew.
45
An ónio José Telo, Os Aço es e o Con olo do A lân ico (1898/1948), p.114.
46
An ónio José Telo, P imei a República – Do Sonho à Realidade (Lisboa: A es G á icas, 2010),
p.335.
47
Sa u nino Mon ei o, Ba alhas e Comba es da Ma inha Po uguesa. Volume VII – 1808-1975, p.131.
48
Rui Ca doso e al., A P imei a Gue a Mundial. Li o Ex a sob e a Pa icipação de Po ugal, p.77.
49
Albe o Cu ilei o, O Comba e do caça-minas “Augus o de Cas ilho” com o subma ino Alemão”U-
139” is o a a és do ela ó io do 1º o icial enca egado de a ilha ia, capi ão- enen e Ku on Pis o
(Lisboa: Cen o de Es udos de Ma inha, 1976), p.9.
50
Anice o A onso, and Ca los de Ma os Gomes, Po ugal and he G ea Wa 1915-1917. The T enches
(Vila do Conde: Ve so da His ó ia, 2014), p. 86.
9
Ge man subma ines sunk a ound 176 ships
51
, ei he Po uguese and o eign
ships, ep esen ing 1.603.104 ons in shipping, a ound he Po uguese coas (including
Madei a, Azo es and Cape Ve de adjacen wa e s), and 90,4 % o hem sunk in 1917,
in 1916-1918 pe iod
52
. The mos p oblema ic mon hs a e isible in Fig.1, we e he
mon hs o Janua y 1917 (wi h 13 ships eco ded sunk), July 1917 (wi h 17),
No embe 1917 (wi h 13) and Ma ch 1918 (wi h 12). The e we e some highe
incidence peaks o subma ine wa a e, as is isible in he pe iod om Decembe 1916
o Janua y 1917, o he pe iod om June o Sep embe 1917. We no e also some
b eaks, as in Oc obe 1917, and be ween Ap il and July 1918.
Fig.1. Numbe o w ecks by mon hs du ing 1916-1918, caused by Ge man
subma ines in he Po uguese coas .
51
This numbe c uises di e en his o ical sou ces, including Po uguese jou nals, Ge man subma ine
wa dia ies K ies agebuch, and in o ma ion om websi es like www.uboa .ne and www.w ecksi e.eu.
52
Miguel Cas o B andão, “(Con)Vi e com o Inimigo –A A i idade Subma ina Alemã du an e a
P imei a Gue a Mundial – In e ações na cos a de Esposende”, p.141.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
1916 1917 1918
16
highe p ices
76
. Alice also alks abou new black ma ke niches, we e hoa de s sell
sho age p oduc s a p ohibi ed p ices, which made some egional igu es e y ich
77
.
Fiscal measu es o egula e p ices and igilance a ound smuggle s we e jus no
e ec i e a all. P ice s ipula ions we e, in a p ac ical meaning, jus a heo is measu e
wi h ew li le esul s, conside ing he lack o local iscal police e ec i es. The
p ac ice o hoa ding a ou ed e y speci ic clien eles, in a ela ionship ha connec ed
he smalles a me o he small e ail me chan
78
. E en so he local au ho i ies in
Esposende ied o eac , by p ohibi ing he exi o cap ine and swine ca le beyond he
municipal on ie , has a epo con i ms
79
.
Bu wha a gumen s sus ain ha Ge man subma ines aded wi h his
smuggling ne wo k nea Esposende beaches? We belie e ha a e i e main easons.
In he i s place, he isi o he ci il go e no o B aga, Edua do C uz, on May 5 h,
was jus singula , o say he leas , as many Po uguese jou nals epo . I i was jus a
egula smuggling local case, has he local p ess de ended, i would no jus i y he
go e no ’s a i al a he small own o Esposende. The go e no con i med ha he
egg boxes we e o Ge man subma ine c ews o he Po uguese pos , conside ing he
Spanish in e medium. The go e no ’s suspicion was sus ained in de ailed and
p i ileged in o ma ion g an ed by he local iscal police ha a es ed he smuggle s
nea Esposende oad, and we also ha e he in o ma ion ha someone w o e a le e o
he In e io Minis e o epo he case, as Po uguese jou nals con i m. Acco ding o
he same sou ces, Edua do C uz p opose mo e iscal police e ec i es o aise
igilance e iciency along he coas
80
.
In second place, he Po uguese smuggle s we e a es ed, condemned and
judged as suspec s o ading wi h Ge man subma ine c ews, he enemy, has he
Na y epo s and Po uguese jou nals con i m
818283
. This aspec is also e y singula .
76
Alice Sama a, “O Impac e Económico e Social da P imei a Gue a Mundial em Po ugal”, in
Po ugal e a Gue a. His ó ia das In e enções Mili a es Po uguesas nos G andes Con li os Mundiais
– Séculos XIX e XX., ed. Nuno Se e iano Teixei a (Lisboa: Edições Colib i, 1998), p.93.
77
Ibid, p. 96.
78
Ibid.
79
O Espozendense (Esposende) July 12, 1917, p.2.
80
O P imei o de Janei o (Po o) May 6, 1917, p.1.
81
Acco ding o he epo , in O Comé cio do Po o, 5 h May, he a es ed smuggle s we e obliga ed o
pay a g ea amoun o money as penaliza ion caused by his inciden : 1. 000 $ 000 éis (Po uguese
cu ency a he ime). This aspec could gi e us a pe spec i e abou he alue o his mulc , and also he
c ime a e.
82
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Co e 419. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).

17
A es ed smuggle s also had o pay a e y signi ican amoun o money o he local
iscal police, conside ing he con ac wi h he enemy. This case was classi ied as a
c ime.
The hi d aspec i ’s p obably one he mos impo an elemen s o analyse in
his ma e . Po uguese Na y depa men s ac ually epo ed he case, and some
delega es sugges se ious measu es o p e en his ype o occasions. Acco ding o a
pa icula epo om Opo o’s cap aincy, deli e ed o he Na y Minis y
84
, da ed 8 h
Oc obe 1917 (6 mon hs a e he Esposende case), all Po uguese cap aincies we e
o de ed o p e en any kind o suspicious landing in o he coas , cap u ing any
smuggled goods
85
. In his same epo he Depa men unde lines ha smuggling cases
like Esposende we e no a big su p ise, comp ising he economic and social c isis
p o oked by he G ea Wa
86
. Na y ep esen a i es isi ed Esposende o asce ain
some in o ma ion abou o ships ha we e sunk in he a ea, and checked ha a ious
Spanish ci ilians we e spo ed in he a ea, anspo ing huge quan i ies o eggs in o
ships s a ioned o he coas
87
. This documen sus ains p ess epo s abou he case,
and also con i ms Spanish p esence in anspo a ion ope a ion o he sea:
“(…) This se ice is gene ously well paid and i ’s made e y cau iously, and I
belie e ha i ’s no jus a egula smuggling case, bu a supply line o Ge man
subma ines ha c oss ha wa e s (Adap a ion o he English language by he au ho )
(…)”
88
This ph ase p o es ha he Spanish smuggle s ha e a e y impo an ole on
his smuggling ne wo k, by making con ac wi h Ge man subma ines o he coas .
The w i e o he documen also e eals se ious igilance p oblems in he coas ,
decla ing ha he iscal police pos s a e gua ded only by wo men and he local pos s
ha e 5 km be ween each o he . He also p oposes new sea pa ols in he a ea, as well
as mo e iscal policemen
89
. O he cap aincies epo s, om all along he Po uguese
coas answe ed o he Po uguese Na y enqui y om Lisbon. Mos o hem don’
83
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Documen ação A ulsa 1611, caixa nº1611 - P ocessos nº8 de 1
a 67 - 1917, co a 4-XXXIV-2-1. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).
84
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Co e 419. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).
85
Ibid.
86
Ibid.
87
Ibid.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
18
epo any kind o smuggling ac i i ies nea o he coas , in con as o no he n
cap aincies
90
. This p o es once mo e he Po uguese Na y in e es in ob aining some
in o ma ion abou Ge man subma ines supply in he Po uguese coas .
Fig.8 Na y epo abou he smuggling o he eggs nea Esposende.These documen s
p o e ha he Po uguese na y we e awa e o he Esposende smuggling case
91
.
90
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Documen ação A ulsa 1611, caixa nº1611 - P ocessos nº8 de 1
a 67 - 1917, co a 4-XXXIV-2-1. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).
91
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Co e 419. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).
19
Fig.9: These documen s men ion no jus he case o Esposende, bu i has some
epo s abou simila si ua ions along he Po uguese coas . Some cap aincies along
he Po uguese coas we e asked by he na y, i hese kind o si ua ions we e egula
92
.
In ou h place, we mus look o Esposende e i o y a ou able condi ions o
he lou ishmen o con aband and smuggling ades, as jou nal and Na y epo ed.
Na iga ion nea Esposende was e y dange ous be o e and du ing Wo ld Wa One,
conside ing he geog aphical condi ions as men ioned be o e. Va ious ocks and
sil ing a eas nea Cá ado Ri e mou h and beaches complica ed ship mo emen s in
he a ea, wo sened by he lack o a powe ul ligh house. Po uguese jou nals epo ed
plen y o news ela ed o se e al w ecks ha ook place nea Esposende. I wasn’
only in Esposende a ea ha was dange ous o he ship sailing in he zone, bu all along
he no h coas o Po ugal. Sou ces o he ime men ion an au hen ic “dea h co ido ”
in his a ea. As you can see in Fig. 11 be ween he Mon edo (nea Viana do Cas elo)
and Luz (Opo o) ligh houses he e wasn’ any eliable ligh sys em, as we can
con i m in his epo :
92
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Documen ação A ulsa 1611, caixa nº1611 - P ocessos nº8 de 1
a 67 - 1917, co a 4-XXXIV-2-1. F om Cen al Na y A chi e (Accessed 2015).
20
“ (…) The cap ains o he ships ha o en a end ou po (Leixões, Opo o,
Po ugal) ha e complained many imes ha he no he n coas o Po ugal has
insu icien ligh , conside ing he imp o emen s ha we e been made. They hink ha
pu ing a ligh house in Fão o Esposende would allow ships o always ha e access o
ligh , which does no happen now, because he e a e places whe e no one can see no
Mon edo ligh house no Luz ligh house (...) (Adap ed o he English language by he
au ho )”
93
.
Local eli es eques ed many imes, be o e and du ing he wa , he cons uc ion
o new in as uc u es in his e i o y, like a powe ul ligh house o any kind o
sono ous signal, as a ious news epo in he jou nal O Comé cio do Po o
94
. This
a ea could encou age he p oli e a ion o smuggling ac i i ies, conside ing he ac
ha mos ac i i ies o his kind we e made a nigh , as local adminis a ion con i m.
To make hings wo se, o make hings wo se, in 1917 he ligh house o Mon edo was
se iously damaged by a s o m, which agg a a ed he ligh sys em in his pa icula
a ea
95
.
The i e eason conside Spanish neu al policy owa ds Ge many in he G ea
Wa , which p o ided some “non-o icial” suppo o Ge man subma ines. Some
Po uguese and Spanish au ho s conside ha Ge man subma ines supplied in Spain,
o ope a e no only in he A lan ic, bu also in he Medi e anean. Spanish au ho
Jaime Rubio Rosales de ends ha , du ing he G ea Wa , an in ense Ge man
subma ine ac i i y was no o ious a ound Cana y Islands, acco ding o a local
wi nesses in La Gome a
96
. The Po uguese au ho Jaime Co eia do Inso s a ed ha
Ge man subma ines ha ope a ed in Alga e coas , we e supplied be ween Huel a
and Cadiz, and he ones ha ope a ed in he Po uguese no he n coas we e supplied
in he Galician po o Vigo
97
. Co eia do Inso he also s a es ha Ge man p esence in
Cana y Islands was cons an
98
.
93
O Comé cio do Po o (Po o), Oc obe 17, 1917, p.2.
94
O Comé cio do Po o (Po o), Decembe 19, 1914, p.4; O Comé cio do Po o (Po o) Decembe 15,
1914, p.1-2; O Comé cio do Po o (Po o) Janua y 3, 1915, p.5; O Comé cio do Po o (Po o), Janua y
5, 1915, p.3.
95
“Fa óis de Po ugal”, T anpo es XXI, accessed 27 Augus , 2016, h p://www. anspo es-
xxi.ne / ma i imo/in es igacao/ a ois.
96
Jaime Rubio Rosales, Subma inos y a queología nazi en Cana ias (London: Lulu P ess Inc, 2007),
p.77.
97
Jaime Co eia do Inso, A Ma inha Po uguesa na G ande Gue a, p.56.
98
Ibid.
21
We ha e no doub s ha Ge man subma ines used Spain as a logis ical
pla o m o coo dina e a ack and had es ablished supply lines, be o e a acking he
Po uguese coas . Spanish coas con aband lines, acco ding o cap u ed Ge man Na y
In elligence epo s, had es ablished spies in many coas al poin s, and o ganized small
boa s lo illas wi h local c ews o a end subma ine necessi ies
99
. I didn’ ook long
o he Allies o no ice ha Ge man subma ines ope a ed om Spanish po s, and
p essed diploma ically Mad id a e some polemic inciden s. In May 1915, Allied
delegacies denounced, o he Spanish go e nmen , he exis ence o Ge man subma ine
gas pos s, on he po s o Biu ún (Basque coas ), Alsasua (Basque coas ) and
Villa eal (nea Valencia). This issue ook Spanish minis e , José Sánchez Gue a, o
communica e wi h O iedo, G anada, Huel a, Pon e ed a, Cas ellón Se ille, Co una
and Na a a o disco e hese kind o pos s
100
. In Sep embe 1915, F ench p ess
denounce a ious umou s a ound subma ine supply in Spanish sho es, including hei
A icans possessions
101
. In he summe o 1916, I alian go e nmen p esen ed hei
suspec s, a guing ha Spanish essels supplied Ge man subma ines in he O ien al
Medi e anean
102
. The e we e some media ic cases in his subjec , aking o example
he U-35 supply o he Ge man e uge ship SS Roma in Ca agena po , which
p o oked F ench and B i ish ambassado s o p o es ilely in Mad id, asse ing ha
he U-boa in ques ion p o isioned he SS Roma ship du ing his mili a y ac i i y
103
.
Bu how Spanish smuggle s con ac ed wi h Ge man subma ine c ews in he
Po uguese coas ? We can ac ually no esponse wi h o al assu ance. Edua do
González Calleja de ends ha we mus look o he smuggling adi ion be ween
Spanish Galicia and he no h o Po ugal. These e i o ies we e no a ac i e o he
Ge man in elligence se ices because o he lack o good communica ion sys ems, bu
o e ed coas al encla es e y sui ed o Ge man subma ine supply
104
. Edua do Calleja
a i ms ha Ge man espionage se ices es ablished mo e easily nea Cádiz and
99
Edua do González Calleja, El Disposi i o de Vigilancia F ancés en Galicia du an e la P imei a
Gue a Mundial (Mad id: Uni e sidad Ca los III de Mad id, 2014), p.1.
100
Ibid.
101
Ibid.
102
Ibid.
103
Jesús Pe ea Ruiz Gue a subma ina en España (1914-1918), ol. 16. (Mad id: UNED – Espacio,
Tiempo y Fo ma, Se ie V, H,ª Con empo ánea, 2004), p.205.
104
Edua do González Calleja, El Disposi i o de Vigilancia F ancés en Galicia du an e la P imei a
Gue a Mundial, p.7.

22
Cana y Islands, conside ing he di icul in place bases in he Medi e anean
105
. Ou
his o ical analysis p o ided some epo s in his ma e , o example he U-38 be o e
a acking Funchal, in Madei a, a 3 h Decembe 1916, supplied in Cana y Islands
106
.
The same sou ce, based in an in elligence in o ma ion o Cape Ve de au ho i ies,
epo s ha one essel was saw alongside a Ge man subma ine, loading gas
107
. This
pa icula in o ma ion could gi e us a e y in e es ing pic u e abou he smuggling
case in Esposende. I ’s e y likely ha essels and Ge man subma ines aded goods
a he high sea, and we hink ha we e a e y common p ac ice be ween Ge man
subma ine c ews. These epo s sus ain once mo e ha aspec . Spanish in e media ies
con ac ed Po uguese p oduce s and smuggle s, and hen hey es ablished con ac wi h
Ge man subma ine c ews a high sea, no oo close o he Po uguese sho e. Bu how
a om he coas ? As a as we can p o e, Ge man subma ines didn’ ge e y close
om he sho e, excep some U-boa s aking Max Valen ine ’s U-38
108
, and Lo ha
on A nauld de la Pe iè e’s U-35
109
.
105
Edua do González Calleja, El Disposi i o de Vigilancia F ancés en Galicia du an e la P imei a
Gue a Mundial, p.7.
106
O Comé cio do Po o (Po o) Decembe 6, 1916, p.3.
107
Ibid.
108
A e a acking Funchal, on 3 Decembe , Max Valen ine ancho ed e y close o Vila Balei a, in
Po o San o island, in Madei a a chipelago.
109
A 24 h Ap il, Pe iè e’s U-35 was e y close o he Po uguese sho e in Alga e, especially when
des oyed he Danish ship No dsöen , nea Sag es.
23
Fig.10. Map o Esposende, 1913.
24
Fig.11. No h o Po ugal ligh house sys em, only Mon edo (Viana do Cas elo) and
Luz ligh houses (Opo o) could p o ide a easonable aid o na iga o s.
25
Re e ences and Bibliog aphy
Documen al Sou ces:
Hans Wal he , K iegs agebuch – des Kommandos S.MU.U-Boa „U.52“. ü die Zei
de Ve nun e nehmung on 16.mä z – 27. ap il 17.Kapi änleu nan Wal he (Hans) (
Cuxha en-Al enb uch: Deu ches Uboa Museum A chi e, 1917).
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Co e 419. F om Cen al Na y A chi e
(Accessed 2015).
A qui o Cen al da Ma inha, Lisboa: Documen ação A ulsa 1611, caixa nº1611 -
P ocessos nº8 de 1 a 67 - 1917, co a 4-XXXIV-2-1. F om Cen al Na y A chi e
(Accessed 2015).
Jou nal Sou ces:
O Comé cio do Po o
Diá io de No ícias
O Espozendense
O P imei o de Janei o
O Século
Elec onic Sou ces:
www.po ugal1914.o g/po al/p /his o ia/a-gue a-1914-1918/i em/6923- e je- iken/.
h p://www.uboa .ne /wwi/ships_hi /5825.h ml/.
Bibliog aphy:
Ajax, The Ge man Pi a e – His Me hods and Reco d, (New Yo k, Geo ge H.
Do an Company, 1918).
Albe o Cu ilei o, O Comba e do caça-minas “Augus o de Cas ilho” com o
subma ino Alemão”U-139” is o a a és do ela ó io do 1º o icial enca egado de
a ilha ia, capi ão- enen e Ku on Pis o (Lisboa: Cen o de Es udos de Ma inha,
1976).