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SM UC-34

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-34.
History
German Empire
NameUC-34
Ordered20 November 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number275[1]
Launched6 May 1916[1]
Commissioned25 September 1916[1]
FateScuttled at Pola, 30 October 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 509 t (501 long tons), submerged
Length
Draught3.65 m (12 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph), submerged
Range
  • 10,180 nmi (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 54 nmi (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes35-second diving time
Service record[1]
Part of:
  • Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla
  • 8 January 1917 – 30 October 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Robert Sprenger
  • 26 September 1916 – 15 July 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Horst Obermüller
  • 16 July 1917 – 14 July 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans Schüler
  • 15 July – 30 October 1918
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 17 merchant ships sunk
    (51,527 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (785 tons)
  • 3 auxiliary warships sunk
    (13,808 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,001 GRT)

SM UC-34 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 6 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 September 1916 as SM UC-34.[Note 1] In nine patrols UC-34 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.

On 30 December 1917 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Horst Obermüller, UC-34 torpedoed the British troop ship HMT Aragon off the Port of Alexandria.[4][5] Aragon's escort, the destroyer HMS Attack, rescued 300 to 400 survivors but then UC-34 torpedoed and sank her as well. Of 2,500 personnel who had been aboard Aragon, 610 were killed.[4][5]

UC-34 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.[1]

Design

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A Type UC II submarine, UC-34 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 509 tonnes (501 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a, a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 54 nautical miles (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,180 nautical miles (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-34 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[6]
27 December 1916 Maud  France 176 Sunk
28 December 1916 Seedonis  Russian Empire 284 Sunk
6 April 1917 Rahmanich  Egypt 100 Sunk
6 April 1917 Spithead  United Kingdom 4,697 Sunk
8 April 1917 Geilan Bahri  United Kingdom 19 Sunk
10 April 1917 Fotis  Greece 3,526 Damaged
11 April 1917 Imperial Transport  United Kingdom 4,648 Sunk
4 May 1917 Cameleon  French Navy 179 Sunk
31 May 1917 Ozarda  United Kingdom 4,791 Damaged
2 June 1917 Cameronian  United Kingdom 5,861 Sunk
7 June 1917 Liliana  Kingdom of Italy 70 Sunk
30 June 1917 Caledonien  France 4,140 Sunk
13 September 1917 Bengali  United Kingdom 5,684 Damaged
25 October 1917 Euston  United Kingdom 2,841 Sunk
12 November 1917 Barbary  United Kingdom 4,185 Sunk
30 December 1917 HMT Aragon  Royal Navy 9,588 Sunk
30 December 1917 HMS Attack  Royal Navy 785 Sunk
31 December 1917 HMS Osmanieh  Royal Navy 4,041 Sunk
8 April 1918 Bengali  United Kingdom 5,684 Sunk
9 April 1918 Vasconia  Norway 3,052 Sunk
1 August 1918 Columbia  Denmark 5,570 Sunk
6 August 1918 Clan Macneil  United Kingdom 3,939 Sunk
10 August 1918 Patra  France 45 Sunk
10 August 1918 Tatarrax  United Kingdom 6,216 Sunk

Notes

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  1. ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 34". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant 1989, p. 173
  3. ^ a b Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Aragon". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Last Song on Doomed Ship". The Northern Star. Lismore, New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 34". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2014.

References

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