SM U-44

SM U-44 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1915, she was sunk in August 1917.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-44.
History
German Empire
Name: U-44
Ordered: 10 July 1913
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Launched: 15 October 1914
Commissioned: 7 May 1915
Fate: Sunk 12 August 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Type U-43 submarine
Displacement:
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length: 65 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam:
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height: 8.70 m (28 ft 7 in)
Draught: 3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × 2,000 PS (1,471 kW; 1,973 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion: 2 shafts
Speed:
  • 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) surfaced
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 11,400 nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 51 nmi (94 km; 59 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement: 36
Armament:
Service record
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Paul Wagenführ
  • (7 May 1915 – 12 August 1917)
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories:
  • 22 merchant ships sunk (72,542 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged (5,404 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships taken as prize (430 GRT)

Operations

SM U-44, under the command of Paul Wagenführ, was completed at Danzig about June or July 1915. She later joined the Kiel School, where she remained until 20 August 1915 undergoing trials. She then proceeded to the North Sea and was attached to the 3rd Half Flotilla.

  • 25 – 26 September 1915. On Bight patrol.
  • 5–10 October, 16–21 October, and 26–29 October 1915. Bight patrols.
  • 14–25 December 1915. North Sea cruise.
  • 17–28 January 1916. North Sea cruise to NE coast of England.
  • 18 March – 17 April 1916. Northabout to Channel approach, was possibly submarine which torpedoed HMS Begonia. Sank 5 S.S., 2 sailing vessels.
  • 17 May – 3 June 1916. North Sea patrol (Battle of Jutland).
  • 16–21 July 1916. North Sea patrol, Returned with defect.
  • 26 July – 5 August 1916. North Sea. Returned owing to bad weather.
  • 16–21 August 1916. North Sea patrol.
  • 17–29 September 1916. Cruise to Fair Island Channel, sank 2 S.S., 1 armed yacht, 1 armed trawler.
  • 1–25 January 1917. Northabout to SW of Ireland. Returned with fracture of propeller shaft. Sank 1 S.S., 3 prizes (trawlers).
  • 19 February 1917. Left for the North, but returned next day with defect.
  • 24 February – 24 March 1917. Northabout to Atlantic. Sank 3 sailing vessels, and 5 S.S.
  • 23 April - ? 7 May 1917. Northabout ? to west of Ireland. Sank 1 sailing vessel ? 1 S.S.

On 12 August 1917, U-44 was rammed and sunk in the North Sea south of Norway (58°50′N 4°20′E) by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Oracle with the loss of all 44 of her crew.[2]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[3]
25 March 1916 Ottomar  Russian Empire 327 Sunk
27 March 1916 Manchester Engineer  United Kingdom 4,302 Sunk
29 March 1916 HMS Begonia  Royal Navy 1,250 Damaged
30 March 1916 Bell  Norway 3,765 Sunk
31 March 1916 Achilles  United Kingdom 7,043 Sunk
31 March 1916 Goldmouth  United Kingdom 7,446 Sunk
31 March 1916 Hans Gude  Norway 1,110 Sunk
1 April 1916 Ashburton  United Kingdom 4,445 Sunk
27 September 1916 Thurso  United Kingdom 1,244 Sunk
16 January 1917 Baron Sempill  United Kingdom 1,607 Sunk
23 January 1917 Agnes  United Kingdom 125 Captured as a prize
23 January 1917 George E. Benson  United Kingdom 155 Captured as a prize
23 January 1917 Vera  United Kingdom 150 Captured as a prize
6 March 1917 Caldergrove  United Kingdom 4,327 Sunk
6 March 1917 Fenay Lodge  United Kingdom 3,223 Sunk
7 March 1917 Ohio  France 8,719 Sunk
8 March 1917 Dunbarmoor  United Kingdom 3,651 Sunk
8 March 1917 Silas  Norway 750 Sunk
10 March 1917 Aracataca  United Kingdom 4,154 Damaged
14 March 1917 Bray Head  United Kingdom 3,077 Sunk
16 March 1917 Narragansett  United Kingdom 9,196 Sunk
28 April 1917 Vacuum  United States 2,551 Sunk
2 May 1917 Natuna  Norway 1,121 Sunk
21 July 1917 Robert Smith  United Kingdom 211 Sunk
24 July 1917 Thorsdal  Norway 2,200 Sunk
27 July 1917 John Hays Hammond  United States 132 Sunk
5 August 1917 Bracondale  United Kingdom 2,095 Sunk

References

Notes
  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Gröner 1991, pp. 8-10.
  2. "U 44". Uboat.net. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 44". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 November 2014.

Bibliography
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

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