SM UC-1
History | |
---|---|
German Empire | |
Name | UC-1 |
Ordered | November 1914[1] |
Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2] |
Yard number | 45[1] |
Launched | 26 April 1915[1] |
Commissioned | 5 July 1915[1] |
Fate | Missing since 18 July 1917[1] |
General characteristics [3] | |
Class and type | Type UC I submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam | 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in) |
Draft | 3.04 m (10 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 14 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 80 patrols |
Victories: |
SM UC-1 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 26 April 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 July 1915 as SM UC-1.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-1 in her 80 patrols were credited with sinking 41 ships. UC-1 disappeared after 18 July 1917.[1] UC-1 was sunk on 24 July 1917 by F2B Felixstowe flying boat. Standard practice was to fly along the U boat and drop 2 250lb bombs astride it, hoping to cause leaks and give time for a destroyer to collect the submariners and sink it. On this occasion, by fluke, one bomb went through the conning tower and blew the base out of UC1. MFG Mill was awarded the DFC for this but he refused to wear it because of the total loss of life <london Gazette> <MFG Mill Diaries>
Design
[edit]A Type UC I submarine, UC-1 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-1 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.[3]
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[11] |
---|---|---|---|---|
30 June 1915 | HMS Lightning | Royal Navy | 320 | Sunk |
14 July 1915 | Rym | Norway | 1,073 | Sunk |
15 July 1915 | HMT Agamemnon II | Royal Navy | 225 | Sunk |
30 July 1915 | Prince Albert | Belgium | 1,820 | Sunk |
31 July 1915 | Galicia | United Kingdom | 5,922 | Damaged |
8 August 1915 | HMT Ben Ardna | Royal Navy | 197 | Sunk |
14 August 1915 | Highland Corrie | United Kingdom | 7,583 | Damaged |
9 September 1915 | Balakani | United Kingdom | 3,696 | Sunk |
22 October 1915 | HMT Scott | Royal Navy | 288 | Sunk |
9 November 1915 | Irene | United Kingdom | 543 | Sunk |
27 November 1915 | Klar | United Kingdom | 518 | Sunk |
3 December 1915 | HMT Etoile Polaire | Royal Navy | 278 | Sunk |
16 December 1915 | Levenpool | United Kingdom | 4,844 | Damaged |
24 December 1915 | HMT Carilon | Royal Navy | 226 | Sunk |
24 December 1915 | Embla | United Kingdom | 1,172 | Sunk |
2 January 1916 | Glocliffe | United Kingdom | 2,211 | Damaged |
18 January 1916 | Rijndam | Netherlands | 12,527 | Damaged |
19 January 1916 | Leoville | France | 775 | Sunk |
28 January 1916 | Perth | Norway | 3,522 | Damaged |
30 January 1916 | Maasdijk | Netherlands | 3,557 | Sunk |
11 February 1916 | Alabama | Norway | 891 | Sunk |
25 March 1916 | Duiveland | Netherlands | 1,297 | Sunk |
27 March 1916 | Empress of Midland | United Kingdom | 2,224 | Sunk |
4 April 1916 | Bendew | United Kingdom | 3,681 | Sunk |
12 April 1916 | Colombia | Netherlands | 5,644 | Damaged |
20 April 1916 | Lodewijk Van Nassau | Netherlands | 3,350 | Sunk |
2 May 1916 | Fridland | Sweden | 4,960 | Damaged |
26 May 1916 | El Argentino | United Kingdom | 6,809 | Sunk |
18 June 1916 | Mendibil-mendi | Spain | 4,501 | Sunk |
26 June 1916 | Astrologer | United Kingdom | 912 | Sunk |
26 June 1916 | HMT Tugela | Royal Navy | 233 | Sunk |
28 June 1916 | Mercurius | United Kingdom | 129 | Sunk |
30 June 1916 | HMT Whooper | Royal Navy | 302 | Sunk |
16 July 1916 | Alto | United Kingdom | 2,266 | Sunk |
16 July 1916 | Mopsa | United Kingdom | 885 | Sunk |
30 July 1916 | Claudia | United Kingdom | 1,144 | Sunk |
11 August 1916 | F. Stobart | United Kingdom | 801 | Sunk |
23 August 1916 | HMT Birch | Royal Navy | 215 | Sunk |
27 August 1916 | HMD Ocean Plough | Royal Navy | 99 | Sunk |
31 August 1916 | HMD Tuberose | Royal Navy | 67 | Sunk |
1 September 1916 | Dronning Maud | Norway | 1,102 | Sunk |
4 September 1916 | HMT Jessie Nutten | Royal Navy | 187 | Sunk |
6 October 1916 | Lanterna | United Kingdom | 1,685 | Sunk |
8 November 1916 | HMS Zulu | Royal Navy | 1,027 | Sunk |
28 December 1916 | Torpilleur 317 | French Navy | 100 | Sunk |
1 January 1917 | Sussex | United Kingdom | 5,686 | Damaged |
15 January 1917 | Port Nicholson | United Kingdom | 8,418 | Sunk |
11 May 1917 | HMT Bracklyn | Royal Navy | 303 | Sunk |
24 June 1917 | HMS Kempton | Royal Navy | 810 | Sunk |
24 June 1917 | HMS Redcar | Royal Navy | 810 | Sunk |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 1". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Egon von Werner (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Ramien (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Heinrich Küstner". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hugo Thielmann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Oskar Steckelberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Warzecha (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Christian Mildenstein". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 1". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.