• In August 1914, Great Britain deployed a ship, the Alert, to cut off Germany’s communications with the world.
• Censors were then deployed across the empire, from Hong Kong to Malta to Singapore, to intercept communications and gather intelligence.
• By leveraging the sophisticated undersea telegraph cable system, the British were able to successfully cripple Germany’s ability to communicate and gather strategic intelligence.
The outbreak of the First World War marked a significant shift in the way Great Britain utilized its sophisticated undersea telegraph cable system. On August 5, 1914, the British declared war on the Germans and the Alert, a British ship, was deployed from the port of Dover with a mission to cut off all of Germany’s communications with the world. The Alert was successful and, the day before it set sail, a man was deployed to the cable station at Porthcurno in Cornwall. This man was given the job title of “censor” and numerous other censors were deployed across the empire, from Hong Kong to Malta to Singapore. The aim of these censors was to prevent the transmission of strategic intelligence between the enemy and their agents by intercepting communications.
The network of 180 censors at U.K. offices handled over 50,000 messages per day and the British were able to successfully cripple Germany’s ability to communicate. This censorship system allowed them to gain valuable insights into the enemy’s plans and intentions and to take advantage of any weaknesses they discovered. By leveraging the sophisticated undersea telegraph cable system, the British were able to gain an advantage over their enemy. The success of the censorship system in the First World War shows the importance of communication and intelligence gathering in the modern world. It is a reminder that the power wielded by those who are able to control the flow of information should never be underestimated.