He must have the science of
topography at his finger tips; he must be able to make quick and
accurate calculations using trigonometry, as well as possessing skill
as a draftsman. In my mission to Port Arthur, where I had to report
on the defenses, I found this training invaluable.
The same applies to the subject of naval construction. Before
entering the German Secret Service, I certainly knew the difference
between a torpedo and a torpedo boat destroyer, but naturally could
not give an accurate description of the various types of destroyers
and torpedoes. My instructor in this subject was Lieutenant Captain
Kurt Steffens, torpedo expert of the Intelligence Department of the
Imperial Navy. After a month of tutelage under him, I was able to
tell the various types of torpedoes, submarines, and mines, etc., in
use by the principal Powers. I could even tell by the peculiar
whistle it made whether the torpedo that was being discharged was a
Whitehead or a Brennan.
I was also drilled in the construction of every known kind of naval
gun. Dozens of model war-crafts were shown to me and explained. I
saw the model of every warship in the world. For days at a time I was
made to sit before charts that hung from the walls of certain rooms in
the Intelligence Department and study the silhouettes of every known
varying type of war-craft. I was schooled in this until I could tell
at a glance what type of a battleship, cruiser, or destroyer it was,
whether it was peculiar to the English, French, Russian or United
States Navy.
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