This is not a Kansas story; too bad, because a German submarine on the Kansas or Missouri Rivers in 1916 would have been a big story, if somewhat improbable.

In that year the German submarine Deutschland did come to the United States not once but twice.  The first trip was in July, with a trip to Baltimore.  The second trip was in November, sailing to New London, Connecticut.   This second trip was marred by the accidental sinking of a tug that the sub rammed while leaving New London, killing five men aboard the tug.

Mystic Seaport has posted an article about the Deutschland and its New London visit:  http://research.mysticseaport.org/news/german-submarine-in-new-london-1916/

For more about the Deutschland itself, see:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_Deutschland

 

 

 

Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.