SM UC-16

SM UC-16 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 1 February 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 June 1916 as SM UC-16.[Note 1] In 13 patrols UC-16 was credited with sinking 42 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-16 disappeared in October 1917. A postwar German study concluded that UC-16 probably sank after striking a mine off Zeebrugge.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-16.

History
German Empire
Name: UC-16
Ordered: 29 August 1915[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 266[1]
Launched: 1 February 1916[1]
Commissioned: 18 June 1916[1]
Fate: probably sunk by mine in October 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 417 t (410 long tons), surfaced
  • 493 t (485 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 7.0 knots (13.0 km/h; 8.1 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 9,430 nautical miles (17,460 km; 10,850 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), surfaced
  • 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph), submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
Notes: 35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 11 September 1916 – 4 October 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner[4]
  • 26 June 1916 – 22 April 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Reimarus[5]
  • 15 July – 4 October 1917
Operations: 13 patrols
Victories:
  • 42 merchant ships sunk (42,527 GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged (24,465 GRT)
  • 2 warship sunk (419 tons)

Later information indicates she ran aground off Wissant, France and was scuttled. Crew surrendered to French forces.[6]

Design

Like all pre-UC-25 German Type UC II submarines, UC-16 had a displacement of 417 tonnes (410 long tons) when at the surface and 493 tonnes (485 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 49.35 m (161 ft 11 in), beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 500 metric horsepower (370 kW; 490 shp) (a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,430 nautical miles (17,460 km; 10,850 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-16 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes,[3] eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[7]
23 September 1916 Andromeda  United Kingdom 149 Sunk
23 September 1916 Beechwold  United Kingdom 129 Sunk
23 September 1916 Britannia III  United Kingdom 138 Sunk
23 September 1916 Cockatrice  United Kingdom 115 Sunk
23 September 1916 Mercury  United Kingdom 183 Sunk
23 September 1916 Phoenix  United Kingdom 117 Sunk
23 September 1916 Refino  United Kingdom 182 Sunk
23 September 1916 Rego  United Kingdom 176 Sunk
23 September 1916 Restless  United Kingdom 125 Sunk
23 September 1916 Viella  United Kingdom 144 Sunk
23 September 1916 Weelsby  United Kingdom 122 Sunk
19 October 1916 Alaunia  United Kingdom 13,405 Sunk
22 October 1916 Fortuna  Netherlands 1,254 Sunk
11 November 1916 Daphne  Norway 1,388 Sunk
11 November 1916 Veronica  United Kingdom 27 Sunk
13 November 1916 Marie Therese  France 156 Sunk
14 November 1916 N.D. De Bon Secours  France 81 Sunk
14 November 1916 Nominoe  France 327 Sunk
14 November 1916 Salangane  France 125 Sunk
16 November 1916 Lobelia  France 80 Sunk
16 November 1916 Vasco  United Kingdom 1,914 Sunk
26 November 1916 Caloric  Norway 7,012 Damaged
28 December 1916 Suffolk  United Kingdom 7,573 Damaged
30 December 1916 Aspenleaf  United Kingdom 7,535 Damaged
18 January 1917 Taormina  Kingdom of Italy 2,457 Sunk
19 January 1917 Anna  Norway 1,237 Sunk
19 January 1917 Reinunga  Norway 1,147 Sunk
19 January 1917 Theresdal  Norway 1,762 Sunk
21 January 1917 Couronne  France 169 Sunk
22 January 1917 Juno  Netherlands 2,345 Damaged
23 January 1917 Ymer  Norway 1,123 Sunk
15 February 1917 Leven  United Kingdom 775 Sunk
26 February 1917 Sea Gull  United Kingdom 144 Sunk
26 February 1917 HMT St. Germain  Royal Navy 307 Damaged
15 March 1917 Coonagh  United Kingdom 1,412 Sunk
20 April 1917 HMS Glen  Royal Navy 112 Damaged
27 July 1917 Dirk  Netherlands 81 Sunk
27 July 1917 Dirk van Duyne  Netherlands 116 Sunk
27 July 1917 Jan  Netherlands 104 Sunk
27 July 1917 Majoor Thomson  Netherlands 110 Sunk
27 July 1917 President Commissaris van den Burgh  Netherlands 111 Sunk
27 July 1917 Sterna III  Netherlands 111 Sunk
28 July 1917 Neptunus I  Netherlands 80 Sunk
16 August 1917 Manchester Engineer  United Kingdom 4,465 Sunk
17 August 1917 Susie  United Kingdom 41 Sunk
18 August 1917 Ardens  United Kingdom 1,274 Sunk
4 September 1917 Bishopston  United Kingdom 2,513 Sunk
7 September 1917 Hinemoa  United Kingdom 2,283 Sunk
7 September 1917 Vestfjeld  Norway 2,063 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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 16". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  4. 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 9 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Reimarus". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. https://www.foxnews.com/science/world-war-i-german-submarine-unearthed-in-northern-france
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC-16". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

Bibliography
  • 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.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.
  • 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.
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