 Type UC I submarine, UC-5
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | AG Weser, Bremen; Vulkan Hamburg; |
| Operators | |
| Succeeded by | UC II |
| Built | 1915 |
| In commission | 1915–1932 |
| Planned | 15 |
| Completed | 15 |
| Lost | 14 |
| Scrapped | 1 |
| Preserved | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | coastal minelaying submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam | 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in) |
| Draught |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 14 men |
| Armament |
|
The Type UC I coastal submarines were a class of small minelaying U-boats built in Germany during the early part of World War I. They were the first operational minelaying submarines in the world, although the Russian submarine Krab was laid down earlier.[1] A total of fifteen boats were built. The class is sometimes also referred to as the UC-1 class after SM UC-1, the class leader. Eleven of these U-boats joined the Flanders U-boat flotillas whilst the other four went to the Pola Flotilla.
Design
[edit]On 18 August 1914, ten days after the start of World War I, the German Navy started to explore the idea of small, coastal submarines which could be built in a matter of a few months. On 11 September the idea was rejected but on 25 August as the German Army made rapid advances in Belgium and reached the coastline, the idea was put on the table again and the German Navy asked naval yards for design for a small U-boat which could be transported by rail. On 15 October fifteen Type UB I U-boats were ordered, with an expected construction time of four months only. Based on the same Type UB I, the German Navy ordered on 23 November a further fifteen Type UC I coastal minelaying U-boats. As the traditional U-boat yards, Kaiserliche Werft Danzig and Germaniawerft, were already overloaded with orders, and since AG Weser had started U-boat construction with the previous Type UB I, ten Type UC I were ordered from the AG Vulcan yard in Hamburg, and a further five from AG Weser. These yards expected a building time of five to six months.[2]
The Type UC I had a revised bow section housing inclined minelaying tubes and uprated engines to compensate for the increased displacement and less streamlined form. The boats' sole armament was six internal mine tubes with 12 mines. In order to make it possible to lay mines whilst moving, the mine shaft were not mounted vertically but at a sloping angle.[3] The minelaying system was difficult to operate, and when some U-boats were lost without trace it was suspected that they were lost when mines became armed before exiting their tubes and exploded prematurely. However, most of the wrecks of these U-boats have been located and dived to, and their mine shafts were found empty, disproving the premature explosion theory.[4]
The ten Type UC I submarines UC-1 - UC-10 built by AG Vulcan Hamburg were powered on the surface by a four-cylinder, four-stroke Daimler RS166 diesel engine producing 90 brake horsepower (67 kW), whilst the five U-boats UC-11 - UC-15, built by AG Weser received six-cylinder, four-stroke Benz diesel engine producing 80 bhp (60 kW). The pressure hull of the Hamburg U-boats was 29.62 m (97 ft 2 in) long, on the Weser U-boats the pressure hull was 29.81 m (97 ft 10 in) long. This caused small differences in weight, draught, speed and endurance between these two series of U-boats: UC-1 - UC-10 had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and could travel 780 nmi (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-11 - UC-15 had a maximum surface speed of 6.49 knots (12.02 km/h; 7.47 mph) and could travel 910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[5][6]
The Type UC I had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 182 tonnes (179 long tons) while submerged and had a draught of 3.04 m (9 ft 11.7 in). UC-11 - UC-15 displaced 183 tonnes (180 long tons) submerged and had a draught of 3.06 m (10 ft 0.5 in). They had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in) and a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in). Whilst submerged, the submarines were powered by an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft, which provided a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 kn (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, they could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). They were capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft). They were fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. Their complement was fourteen crew members.[6][5]
In 1916 UC-11 was fitted with a single external bow torpedo tube.[7]
History
[edit]On 26 May 1915 the first Type UC I minelayer UC-11 arrived at Zeebrugge and nine more joined in 1915. Eight Type UC I U-boats were transported by rail to the Kaiserliche Werft Antwerpen in Hoboken, re-assembled and then transferred on pontoons, towed by barges, to Bruges.[8][9] UC-8 and UC-9 served a few months as training U-boats in Kiel, before sailing to the Flanders Flotilla in Zeebrugge. UC-8 was lost during the transit voyage.[10] UC-4 was stationed in Kurland untill February 1916 before joining the Flanders Flotilla in Zeebrugge that same month.[11] By end September 1915 Type UC I boats had executed 42 operations, laying 39 minefields which claimed 25 ships. Minelayers operated in the English Channel as far as Le Havre and Yarmouth, but their main activity was in Thames Estuary and The Downs.[12]
Given the weakness of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and the need to help their Turkish Allies, the German Navy prepared to send U-boats to the Dardanelles and Black Sea. In March 1915 some Type UB I U-boats had already been disassembled, transported by rail to Pola at the Adriatic Sea and re-assembled there, in order to sail to Constantinople.[13] After their completion in the AG Weser shipyard, UC-12 - UC-15 followed in June 1915.[3] These U-boats flew the Austro-Hungarian flag, and received an Austro-Hungarian boat designation, but kept their German crews which wore German uniforms.[13]
List of Type UC I submarines
[edit]A total of 15 Type UC I submarines were built, only two of which, UC-5 and UC-8, survived the war.[5]
| Name | Fate[5] |
|---|---|
| SM UC-1 | Sunk on 18 July 1917, North of Sandettie Bank.[14] |
| SM UC-2 | Sunk on 2 July in the North Sea. |
| SM UC-3 | Sunk on 27 May 1916 in the Nort Sea. |
| SM UC-4 | Scuttled on 5 October 1918 off the coast of Flanders. |
| SM UC-5 | Grounded on the Thames Estuary on 27 April 1916, captured and scrapped. |
| SM UC-6 | Sunk on 27 September in the Thames estuary. |
| SM UC-7 | Sunk on 7 July 1916 North of Zeebrugge. |
| SM UC-8 | Grounded on the Dutch coast, interned by Netherlands and served in the Royal Netherlands Navy as the HLNMS M-1 until broken up in 1932.[15] |
| SM UC-9 | Sunk on 21 October 1915 in the North Sea. |
| SM UC-10 | Sunk on 21 August 1916 in the North Sea by British submarine HMS E54. |
| SM UC-11 | Sunk in a minefield on 24 July 1917 in the English Channel. |
| SM UC-12 | Sunk on 16 June 1916 off Taranto. Raised and repaired by the Italians and on 13 April 1917 commissioned in the Italian Navy as X 1.[13] |
| SM UC-13 | Grounded in the Black Sea on 29 November 1915. |
| SM UC-14 | Sunk by British mine on 3 October 1917 off Zeebrugge. |
| SM UC-15 | Lost in November 1916 in the Black Sea. |
Citations
[edit]- ^ Breyer 1992, p. 27.
- ^ Rössler 1981, pp. 39–44.
- ^ a b Rössler 1981, p. 44.
- ^ Termote 2014, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d Möller & Brack 2004, pp. 54–55.
- ^ a b Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Möller & Brack 2004, p. 55.
- ^ Terraine 1999, pp. 17–20.
- ^ Termote 2014, p. 46.
- ^ Termote 2014, p. 296.
- ^ Termote 2014, p. 290.
- ^ Termote 2014, pp. 46–47.
- ^ a b c Möller & Brack 2004, p. 202.
- ^ Termote 2014, pp. 287–289.
- ^ Dutchsubmarines.com
References
[edit]- Breyer, Siegfried (1992). Soviet Warship Development: Volume 1: 1917–1937. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-604-3.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Möller, Eberhard; Brack, Werner (2004). The Encyclopedia of U-Boats. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-85367-623-3.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1981). The U-boat: The evolution and technical history of German submarines. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-36120-8.
- Termote, Tomas (2014). Oorlog onder Water, Unterseeboots Flottille Flandern 1915-1918 [War below sea, submarine flottille Flanders 1915-1918] (in Dutch). Leuven: Davidsfonds. ISBN 978-90-5908-526-8.
- Terraine, J. (1999). Business in Great Waters: The U-boat Wars, 1916–1945. London: Leo Cooper. ISBN 978-0-85052-760-5.
Further reading
[edit]- Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6.
- Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC 231973419.