For the month of October, 1916, the New York "Journal of Commerce" placed its total figures of Allied and neutral merchantmen sunk by mines or submarines at 127 vessels of 227,116 tons, according to a compilation published on November 3, 1916. No official figures of the German Government for October, 1916, were available. Of the above-mentioned 127 vessels, Great Britain lost 38; Norway, 56; Sweden, 10; Denmark, 8; Greece, 5; Russia, 4; Holland, 3; France, Belgium, and Rumania, each 1. Of these the following were of more than 2,000 tons:
British: Franconia, 18,150 tons; _Alaunia_, 13,405 tons; _Welsh Prince_, 4,934 tons; _Rowanmore_, 10,320 tons; _Astoria_, 4,262 tons; _Cabotia_, 4,309 tons; _Midland_, 4,247 tons; _Cluden_, 3,166 tons; _Barbara_, 3,740 tons; _Framfield_, 2,510 tons; _Ethel Duncan_, 2,510 tons; _Sidmouth_, 4,045 tons; _Crosshill_, 5,002 tons; _Sebek_, 4,601 tons; _Renylan_, 3,875 tons; _Strathdene_, 4,321 tons; _West Point_, 3,847 tons; _Stephano_, 3,449 tons.
Norwegian: _Christian Knudsen_, 4,224 tons; _Risholm_, 2,155 tons; _Snestadt_, 2,350 tons; _Edam_, 2,381 tons; _Sola_, 3,057 tons; _Bygdo_, 2,345 tons.
Russian: _Tourgai_, 4,281 tons; _Mercator_, 2,827 tons.
Greek: _George M. Embiricos_, 3,636 tons; _Massalia_, 2,186 tons; _Germaine_, 2,573 tons.
More interest than ever before in submarine warfare was aroused in this country when the German war submarine _U-53_ unexpectedly made its appearance in the harbor of Newport, R. I., during the afternoon of October 7, 1916. About three hours afterward, without having taken on any supplies, and after explaining her presence by the desire of delivering a letter addressed to Count von Bernstorff, then German Ambassador at Washington, the _U-53_ left as suddenly and mysteriously as she had appeared.
This was the first appearance of a war submarine in an American port. It was claimed that the _U-53_ had made the trip from Wilhelmshaven in seventeen days. She was 213 feet long, equipped with two guns, four torpedo tubes, and an exceptionally strong wireless outfit. Besides her commander, Captain Rose, she was manned by three officers and thirty-three men.
Early the next morning, October 8, 1916, it became evident what had brought the _U-53_ to this side of the Atlantic. At the break of day she made her reappearance southeast of Nantucket. The American steamer _Kansan_ of the American Hawaiian Company bound from New York by way of Boston to Genoa was stopped by her, but after proving her nationality and neutral ownership was allowed to proceed. Five other steamships, three of them British, one Dutch, and one Norwegian, were less fortunate. The British freighter _Strathend_, of 4,321 tons, was the first victim. Her crew were taken aboard the Nantucket Shoals Lightship. Two other British freighters, _West Point_ and _Stephano_, followed in short order to the bottom of the ocean. The crews of both were saved by United States torpedo-boat destroyers which had come from Newport as soon as news of the _U-53's_ activities had been received there. This was also the case with the crews of the Dutch ship _Bloomersdijk_ and the Norwegian tanker _Christian Knudsen_.