SM UB-58

SM UB-58 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 10 August 1917 as SM UB-58.[Note 1]

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-58.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-58
Ordered: 20 May 1916[1]
Builder: AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 270
Launched: 5 July 1917[2]
Commissioned: 10 August 1917[2]
Fate: sunk 10 March 1918 at 50°58′N 01°14′E by a mine, 35 dead[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 516 t (508 long tons) surfaced
  • 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) submerged
Length: 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught: 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 9,020 nmi (16,710 km; 10,380 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament:
Service record as UB-58
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Werner Fürbringer[3]
  • 10 August 1917 – February 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Löwe[4]
  • 8 February – 10 March 1918
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories: 8 merchant ships sunk (8,198 GRT)

She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-58 was sunk at 04:15 on 10 March 1918 at 50°58′N 01°14′E after striking a mine; 35 crew members lost their lives in the event.[2]

Construction

She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 10 July 1917. UB-58 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-58 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-58 would carry a crew of up to three officers and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-58 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.


Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
13 October 1917 Bethel  Norway 257 Sunk
13 October 1917 Esmeralda  Sweden 830 Sunk
19 November 1917 Minnie Coles  United Kingdom 116 Sunk
19 December 1917 Saint Andre  France 2,457 Sunk
22 December 1917 Clan Cameron  United Kingdom 3,595 Sunk
22 December 1917 Start  Norway 728 Sunk
26 January 1918 Louie Bell  United Kingdom 118 Sunk
28 January 1918 W. H. L.  United Kingdom 97 Sunk

References

Notes

  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. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. Rössler 1979, p. 55.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Fürbringer (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Löwe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 58". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

Bibliography

  • Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.
  • Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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