SM UC-11

SM UC-11 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 was ordered on 23 November 1914, laid down on 26 January 1915, and was launched on 11 April 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 23 April 1915 as SM UC-11.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-11 in her 83 patrols were credited with sinking 27 ships. UC-11 was mined and sunk on 26 June 1918.[1] A crew member was Rudolf Finkler from Oberlinxweiler, Kreis St. Wendel, Germany. According to his death record the boat went down in the North Sea near Harwich, abt. 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) north east of Funk Feuerschiff on position 51°55′N 1°41′E.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-11.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-11
Ordered: 23 November 1914[1]
Builder: AG Weser, Bremen[2]
Yard number: 225[1]
Laid down: 26 January 1915[1]
Launched: 11 April 1915[1]
Commissioned: 23 April 1915[1]
Fate: sunk by mine, 26 June 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC I submarine
Displacement:
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 182 t (179 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft: 3.06 m (10 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 6.49 knots (12.02 km/h; 7.47 mph), surfaced
  • 5.67 knots (10.50 km/h; 6.52 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 14
Armament:
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record[1]
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 26 May – 17 October 1915
  • Training Flotilla
  • 17 October 1915 – 11 August 1916
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 11 August 1916 – 26 June 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Walter Gottfried Schmidt[4]
  • 23 April 1915 – 11 August 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Saltzwedel [5]
  • 12–20 August 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Max Schmitz[6]
  • 21 August – 1 December 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Benno von Ditfurth[7]
  • 2 December 1916 – 29 June 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Niemeyer[8]
  • 30 June – 19 July 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Benno von Ditfurth[7]
  • 20 July – 5 August 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl Dobberstein[9]
  • 6 August – 16 November 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Ferdinand Schwartz[10]
  • 17 November 1917 – 10 February 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Thomsen[11]
  • 11 February – 4 April 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Lange[12]
  • 5 April – 16 June 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Kurt Utke[13]
  • 17–26 June 1918
Operations: 83 patrols
Victories:
  • 27 merchant ships sunk (33,708 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged (378 GRT)
  • 2 warships damaged (5,084 tons)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-11 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 182 tonnes (179 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 3.06 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Benz six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 80 metric horsepower (59 kW; 79 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 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 910 nautical miles (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-11 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 Weser Bremen and her complement was fourteen crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[14]
1 June 1915 HMS Mohawk  Royal Navy 865 Damaged
9 June 1915 Erna Boldt  United Kingdom 1,731 Sunk
9 June 1915 Lady Salisbury  United Kingdom 1,446 Sunk
10 June 1915 TB 10  United Kingdom 255 Sunk
10 June 1915 TB 12  United Kingdom 255 Sunk
15 June 1915 Argyll  United Kingdom 280 Sunk
20 October 1916 Huguenot  United Kingdom 1,032 Sunk
24 October 1916 Framfield  United Kingdom 2,510 Sunk
26 October 1916 Lord Roberts  United Kingdom 293 Sunk
21 November 1916 Helena  Netherlands 1,798 Sunk
29 November 1916 Lord Airedale  United Kingdom 215 Sunk
9 December 1916 Forth  United Kingdom 1,159 Sunk
9 December 1916 Harlington  United Kingdom 1,089 Sunk
9 December 1916 Harlyn  United Kingdom 1,794 Sunk
17 December 1916 Michail Ontchoukoff  Denmark 2,118 Sunk
29 December 1916 Zoroaster  United Kingdom 3,803 Sunk
8 January 1917 Cape Colony  United Kingdom 82 Sunk
2 February 1917 Holdene  United Kingdom 274 Sunk
12 February 1917 Foreland  United Kingdom 1,960 Sunk
14 February 1917 Marie Leonhardt  United Kingdom 1,466 Sunk
26 April 1917 Mercury  United Kingdom 378 Damaged
27 April 1917 Agile  United Kingdom 246 Sunk
24 September 1917 Hastfen  United Kingdom 77 Sunk
25 October 1917 Wearside  United Kingdom 3,560 Sunk
27 October 1917 Strymon  United Kingdom 198 Sunk
24 November 1917 French Rose  United Kingdom 465 Sunk
25 November 1917 Ostpreussen  United Kingdom 1,779 Sunk
27 November 1917 Groeswen  United Kingdom 3,570 Sunk
16 January 1918 John E. Lewis  United Kingdom 253 Sunk
13 June 1918 HMS Conquest  Royal Navy 4,219 Damaged

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

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 11". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 30-31.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Gottfried Schmidt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Reinhold Saltzwedel (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Max Schmitz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Benno von Ditfurth". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Niemeyer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karl Dobberstein". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ferdinand Schwartz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Reinhold Thomsen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Lange". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  13. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Utke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  14. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 11". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 December 2014.

Bibliography
  • Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 978-3-8132-0758-3.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 978-0-85177-593-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.