1917 was a defining year in the fortunes of both sides during the First World War. On 1 February Kaiser Wilhelm declared a return to unrestricted attacks on all Allied and neutral shipping around Great Britain and Ireland, and the French and Mediterranean coasts, where vessels would be attacked without warning. By April the Allies' losses reached a climax with the sinking of 458 merchant ships during that month.
The Ubootwaffe had 105 vessels, 69 of which operated from Germany and the Netherlands. The Kaiserliche Marine set up the Flanders Flotilla from where the smaller UB and UC submarines launched attacks. The UC class also laid mines along the French coast and in the approaches to major British harbours. A larger 400 ton improved version of the UC minelayer was then produced, each having six mine tubes containing three mines and carrying an 8.8cm deck gun. It seemed that Germany was well on the way to victory. But the turning point came with the introduction of the convoy system and the USA eventually joining the Allies.

Otto Steinbrinck
The Ubootwaffe received the pick of the young officers and men of the German Navy. They were mostly volunteers and procedures were extremely rigorous. Among the great aces of the smaller U-boats was Kapitänleutnant Otto Steinbrinck. He was born in Lippstadt, Westphalia, on 19 December 1888 and joined the Navy in 1907. After serving on the training ship Freya he joined the u-boats and took command of ub-10. Between 14 April 1915 and 21 December 1915 he sank 27 merchant ships totalling 13,379 tons, for which he received the medal Pour le Mérite, better known as the Blue Max, a decoration normally only given to much higher ranking officers. The table below summarises his career as Kommandant in the Ubootwaffe.

NAME	SHIPS SUNK	TONNAGE	PERIOD
UB-10	27 Merchant Ships	13,379	14.4.1915 - 21.12.1915
UB-18	64 Merchant Ships 1 Warship(U-Boat E-22 )	74,781 807	27.2.1916 - 26.10.1916
UC-65	94 Merchant Ships 1 Warship(Ariadne)	99,803 11,150	8.2.1917 - 28.7.1917
UB-57	17 Merchant Ships	43,651	7.10.1917 - 29.12.1917

During his most successful time, while in command of UC-65, he was promoted Kapitänleutnant on 26 April 1917. The following month, on 19 May, he married Lola Vogelsang. In over 50 operations Kapitänleutnan Otto Steinbrinck sank 202 merchant ships totalling 231,614 tons, and two warships totalling 11,957 tons.
About 1932 he became a member of the Circle of Friends of Himmler and on 1 May he became a member of the Nazi party. He was promoted as a Brigadefuehrer in the SS on 30 January 1939. During the period May 1940 to July 1942 he represented the iron and steel industry in the occupied territories of Luxemburg, Belgium and Northern France.
In August 1945 he was arrested by the Americans and indicted before the US military court at Nuremberg, where he was sentenced to five years in prison. He died in prison on 16 August 1949.
Lowell Thomas describes him as 'not of the dashing, dare-devil type, but a conscientious hard working officer, serious and responsible'. Although dreaded by British Navy men he was also greatly admired for his professionalism. One incident which gained their respect occurred on 25 April 1916 when Steinbrinck in the small UB-18 attacked and sunk the British submarine E-22 in the North Sea off Yarmouth. With the three other submarines in the convoy racing towards him he surfaced and rescued the only two survivors of E-22 before diving quickly and escaping.
He was the most successful commander of the smaller submarines based at Flanders. Between February and May 1917 he undertook four operations in the English Channel and the Irish Sea with the uc-65 minelayer, laying 18 mines each time. During these four months he sank 82 ships totalling 72,315 tons and damaged 51,452 by mine or torpedo. On 28 March 1917 he sank six vessels in the vicinity of the South Arklow Lightvesse
l British Steamer Snowdon Range 4662 tons
Russian Sailing Ship Laima 148 tons
British Steamer Ardglass 778 tons
Norwegian Steamer Dagali 742 tons
Wexford Schooner Harvest Home 103 tons
British Steamer Wychwood 1985 tons

South Arklow Lightvessel
The sinkings were witnessed by the crew members of the South Arklow Lightvessel Guillemot (built 1893-4). At 3.40pm they noticed a small vessel off the South Arklow Bank, heading towards Norwegian steamer Dagali which later sank. Later the crew of the schooner Harvest Home loaded with timber were seen to abandon ship and leave in their boat before several flashes were seen from what proved to be a submarine. A large steamer the Annan of Glasgow then came from the north-east into the area. Captain James Rossiter, Master of the lightship, felt obliged to warn the vessel. He ordered his crew on deck and ran up the Admiralty secret signal B under a ball, meaning 'submarine in vicinity', and then fired five rockets. The Annan then put about and escaped towards the north-east.
About 15 minutes later the submarine surfaced about 50 yards from the lightship. It proved to be UC-65 under Otto Steinbrinck. The German ensign was hoisted on the conning-tower and a signal AB meaning 'abandon ship'. Master Rossiter and crew lowered their largest boat and were ordered alongside the U-boat. An armed German officer then boarded their boat carrying two large brass bombs and ordered the crew back to their ship. He asked for the ship's papers but was informed there were none on board. He then attempted to have the ship's bell removed but without success. He fixed the two bombs over the bow outside close to the waterline, and lit the fuses. He was returned to the submarine and the men pulled away for the shore as another ship entered the danger zone to the east.
About ten minutes later both bombs exploded on the lightship blowing the rail and planking high in the air. Just before dark some distance to the south-east a steamer appeared in difficulties and sank quickly. About one hour later seven shots were heard near the lightship; the steel hulled ship was still afloat and seven shells were fired into her before she sank.
Her crew meantime pulled towards the shore in strong wind and rain. About 8 o'clock they were picked up by the Annan, the vessel which they had warned earlier, and were treated with the greatest kindness. The Annan had signalled to some other steamers which ran to safety. A message was then signalled to Wicklow Head: 'South Arklow Lightvessel sunk crew safe'. James
Captain James Rossiter and his crew of six were landed at Wicklow on the morning of 29 March. The following day he appeared before the Board of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, made his report, and was warmly commended for his bravery. He requested financial recognition for his action but was informed by the Admiralty that he had acted in contravention to their instructions of 9 July 1915, adding that his action was to be regretted, 'as it may lead to reprisals upon other lightvessels'. The Admiralty's instructions described variously as 'secret' and 'confidential' specifically prohibited lightvessels from making signals warning of the presence of u-boats either visually, by sound or wireless, unless connected to the shore by cable. Listed lighthouses however could make signals as follows-
By Day: Flag International Code over a Ball, meaning 'Enemy submarine in the vicinity'
By Night: Continuous flashing of the letter S.

After the sinking of the South Arklow Lightvessel there still remained some confusion regarding signals. The Board of Trade wrote to the Admiralty on 5 April 1917 to ask 'whether their Lordships think it desirable for them to request the General Lighthouse Authorities to issue definite instructions to the Masters of Lightvessels with regard to giving warning of the presence of submarines'. In a reply to a letter from the Admiralty respecting the destruction of the South Arklow Lightvessel and the implied censure of the Master, the Commissioners of Irish Lights on 17 April 1917 stated 'that in view of the secret nature of these instructions they were withheld from Lightships and all Stations except those enumerated in Paragraph 4 of your letter. Instructions have now been issued to the stations concerned. The Master of the Lightship states that he felt it his duty to warn any vessel observed to be in danger from a submarine.'
An acetylene buoy was placed on the South Arklow station on 5 April in place of the missing lightvessel. The Admiralty was asked for protection for the Board's lightvessels but stated that it was impossible to station patrol vessels in the vicinity of each lightship. On 24 September 1917 SS Alexandra placed the wooden lightvessel Gannet (built 1863) on the South Arklow station and removed the buoy. In May 1918 Captain Rossiter drew attention to the award of Torpedo Badges to crews in the mercantile marine who continued at sea after being torpedoed, and requested that the crew of the South Arklow should be considered for such badges. These shortlived civilian awards were not all that popular as few showed interest in wearing the Merchant Navy uniform proposed after the war. The Torpedo Badge was to be sewn or fastened horizontally on the cuff of the left sleeve with the head of the torpedo pointing away from the wearer. Torpedo Badges were eventually forwarded to Arklow Custom House on 12 September 1918. Two other medals were awarded to James Rossiter: The British General Service Silver Medal for those who served at least 6 months during the war; and the Mercantile Marine Bronze War Medal for those who served in a recognised danger zone.

James Rossiter (1861-1943)
James Rossiter was born in Wexford on 21 October 1861. After serving nine years at sea he applied to join the Irish Lightship Service on 15 October 1886. He was not admitted, however, until 1 August 1890. On 10 January 1891 he was posted as Seaman to the North Arklow Station. After being promoted as Mate he joined the Daunt Rock on 1 February 1902 and joined the Codling as Master on 1 March 1911. In 1915 he was transferred to the Coningbeg before taking command of his final station on Arklow South.
He remained in the Service for a few years after the sinking of the Guillemot, but the ordeal he suffered began to take its toll on his health. He complained of increasing nervousness and sleeplessness while on board. He was due to retire on pension in October 1921 but requested to leave earlier. His doctor stated that his resignation should be accepted and added that 'he is a man who was always ready and willing to do his duty and never gave in unless compelled to do so'. On 23 February 1920 he had an accident when he fell overboard from the Commissioner's vessel Deirdre while in the discharge of his duty. He eventually retired on pension on 1 October 1920 one year before his time.
James Rossiter, who lived at 92 The Faythe, Wexford, died on the 30 November 1943 leaving a widow, three sons, and a daughter. His Will was witnessed by two others who shared his ordeal on the Guillemot: Patrick Cogley, Lamplighter, and Peter Gaddren, Seaman.

The Guillemot
On Friday 24 November 1893 the Guillemot was launched from the yard of Messrs Wm Allsup & Sons Ltd, Preston, for the Commissioners of Irish Lights. She was built to the design and under the direction of Captain A.K. Galwey, Inspector of Lights, and Mr George Idle, Naval Architect. A new departure in lightship construction, she was built on the composite principle to secure the strongest possible structure with the maximum of endurance at sea. It was a compromise between the iron vessels which were prone to fouling of the bottom and decay of the hull, and wooden vessels which had to be repaired periodically at great expense. The Guillemot had a complete steel hull, riveted and caulked, and sheathed with teak planking from keel to gunwale. The teak was covered with felt and plates of muntz metal to prevent fouling of the bottom when at sea, and the bottom of the vessel inside was covered with Portland cement. The main deck was covered with steel, with Danzig fir on top. A neat house on deck provided shelter and ventilation. A hot-air engine worked the fog siren. The original lantern was carried on a steel mast having a passage for the men through its centre which was stayed with crucible steel wire ropes. The lantern was hoisted on a winch but after the Puffin disaster on 8 October 1896, this type of mast was replaced and at the time of her loss the Guillemot had a fixed lantern.

I am greatly in debt to the following people for help and information:
lain MacKenzie, Admiralty Library Portsmouth; A.J.Williams, National Archives Kew; Guy Hannaford,
UK Hydrographic Office Taunton; Ann Dennison, Lancashire County Library; Horst Bredow, U-Boot-Archiv Cuxhaven; Andrew H. Golquhoun, Imperial War Museum London; Matt. Zepf, Holywood Co. Down; Patrick Rossiter, Wexford; Commissioners of Irish Lights, Dublin; David Bedlow, Sean Gahan, and Frank Pelly.