SM UB-40
Design
A Type UB II submarine, UB-40 had a displacement of 274 tonnes (270 long tons) when at the surface and 303 tonnes (298 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 36.90 m (121 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two Körting six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total 284 metric horsepower (280 shp; 209 kW), two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors producing 280 metric horsepower (210 kW; 280 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.15 knots (16.95 km/h; 10.53 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.81 knots (10.76 km/h; 6.69 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 6,450 nautical miles (11,950 km; 7,420 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UB-40 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes, four torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of twenty-one crew members and two officers and a 42-second dive time.
Construction and career
The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 25 April 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 August 1916 as SM UB-40.
The submarine sank 100 ships in 28 patrols. UB-40 was scuttled in Ostend when the German army retreated from Belgium on 5 October 1918.
The wreck of UB-40 has been located & identified by divers in the recent years.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 October 1916 | Barbara | ![]() |
3,740 | Sunk |
21 October 1916 | Cock O’ the Walk | ![]() |
111 | Sunk |
22 October 1916 | Maris Stella | ![]() |
106 | Sunk |
22 October 1916 | Risøy | ![]() |
1,129 | Sunk |
7 November 1916 | Reime | ![]() |
1,913 | Sunk |
8 November 1916 | Killellan | ![]() |
1,971 | Sunk |
16 November 1916 | Alphonse Marceline | ![]() |
60 | Sunk |
16 November 1916 | Vanguard | ![]() |
142 | Sunk |
17 November 1916 | Saint Rogatien | ![]() |
1,581 | Sunk |
21 November 1916 | Alice | ![]() |
822 | Sunk |
21 November 1916 | Palm Beach | ![]() |
3,891 | Damaged |
22 November 1916 | Houlgate | ![]() |
1,550 | Sunk |
22 November 1916 | City of Mexico | ![]() |
1,511 | Sunk |
22 November 1916 | Grenada | ![]() |
2,268 | Sunk |
28 December 1916 | Oldambt | ![]() |
470 | Captured as prize |
5 February 1917 | Anna Prosper | ![]() |
70 | Sunk |
5 February 1917 | Emerald | ![]() |
57 | Sunk |
21 February 1917 | Alice | ![]() |
709 | Sunk |
25 February 1917 | Maria Adriana | ![]() |
88 | Sunk |
26 February 1917 | Tammerfors | ![]() |
994 | Sunk |
28 February 1917 | Immaculee Conception | ![]() |
36 | Sunk |
25 March 1917 | Etoile De La Mer | ![]() |
43 | Sunk |
25 March 1917 | Felix Faure | ![]() |
37 | Sunk |
25 March 1917 | Louise | ![]() |
45 | Sunk |
25 March 1917 | Marie Louise | ![]() |
34 | Sunk |
25 March 1917 | Saint Joseph | ![]() |
35 | Sunk |
29 March 1917 | Conoid | ![]() |
165 | Sunk |
29 March 1917 | Irma | ![]() |
32 | Sunk |
30 March 1917 | Somme | ![]() |
1,828 | Sunk |
15 April 1917 | Möhlenpris | ![]() |
638 | Sunk |
16 April 1917 | Cairndhu | ![]() |
4,109 | Sunk |
16 April 1917 | Victoria | ![]() |
165 | Sunk |
17 April 1917 | HMHS Lanfranc | ![]() |
6,287 | Sunk |
19 April 1917 | Limeleaf | ![]() |
7,339 | Damaged |
3 May 1917 | Clodmoor | ![]() |
3,753 | Sunk |
15 May 1917 | Cuba | ![]() |
271 | Sunk |
16 May 1917 | Highland Corrie | ![]() |
7,583 | Sunk |
16 May 1917 | Pagenturm | ![]() |
5,000 | Sunk |
17 May 1917 | Florence Louisa | ![]() |
115 | Sunk |
20 May 1917 | Porthkerry | ![]() |
1,920 | Sunk |
20 May 1917 | Tycho | ![]() |
3,216 | Sunk |
21 May 1917 | Jupiter | ![]() |
2,124 | Sunk |
7 June 1917 | Mahopac | ![]() |
3,216 | Damaged |
7 June 1917 | Oldfield Grange | ![]() |
4,653 | Damaged |
8 June 1917 | Phantom | ![]() |
251 | Sunk |
9 June 1917 | Eugene Mathilde | ![]() |
15 | Sunk |
9 June 1917 | Francois Georgette | ![]() |
7 | Sunk |
10 June 1917 | Henri Jeanne | ![]() |
9 | Sunk |
10 June 1917 | Madeleine | ![]() |
7 | Sunk |
11 June 1917 | Eustace | ![]() |
3,995 | Damaged |
11 June 1917 | Huntsholm | ![]() |
2,073 | Sunk |
11 June 1917 | Margarita | ![]() |
2,788 | Damaged |
12 June 1917 | Alfred | ![]() |
130 | Sunk |
27 June 1917 | Solway Prince | ![]() |
317 | Sunk |
28 June 1917 | Marguerite | ![]() |
1,544 | Sunk |
28 June 1917 | Northfield | ![]() |
2,099 | Damaged |
30 June 1917 | Borgund I | ![]() |
764 | Sunk |
30 June 1917 | Chateau Yquem | ![]() |
1,913 | Sunk |
15 July 1917 | Dinorwic | ![]() |
124 | Sunk |
15 July 1917 | Ebenezer | ![]() |
177 | Sunk |
20 July 1917 | L. H. Carl | ![]() |
1,916 | Sunk |
20 July 1917 | Salsette | ![]() |
5,842 | Sunk |
22 July 1917 | Rota | ![]() |
2,171 | Sunk |
12 August 1917 | Marie Alfred | ![]() |
159 | Sunk |
12 August 1917 | Pauline Louisa | ![]() |
172 | Sunk |
14 August 1917 | Tuddal | ![]() |
3,511 | Sunk |
15 August 1917 | Brodstone | ![]() |
4,927 | Sunk |
16 August 1917 | Eastgate | ![]() |
4,277 | Damaged |
19 August 1917 | Glocliffe | ![]() |
2,211 | Sunk |
21 September 1917 | Radaas | ![]() |
2,524 | Sunk |
22 September 1917 | Greleen | ![]() |
2,286 | Sunk |
23 September 1917 | Rosehill | ![]() |
2,788 | Sunk |
25 September 1917 | City of Swansea | ![]() |
1,375 | Sunk |
19 October 1917 | Wellington | ![]() |
5,600 | Damaged |
24 October 1917 | Gallia | ![]() |
2,728 | Sunk |
25 October 1917 | Gefion | ![]() |
1,123 | Sunk |
28 October 1917 | Redesmere | ![]() |
2,123 | Sunk |
17 November 1917 | Abaris | ![]() |
2,892 | Damaged |
17 November 1917 | Western Coast | ![]() |
1,394 | Sunk |
19 November 1917 | Aparima | ![]() |
5,704 | Sunk |
9 December 1917 | Sedbergh | ![]() |
4,275 | Damaged |
27 January 1918 | Carolus | ![]() |
1,041 | Sunk |
29 January 1918 | Butetown | ![]() |
1,829 | Sunk |
20 February 1918 | Huntsmoor | ![]() |
4,957 | Sunk |
25 February 1918 | Nyanza | ![]() |
6,695 | Damaged |
16 March 1918 | Author | ![]() |
5,586 | Damaged |
21 March 1918 | Ikeda | ![]() |
6,311 | Sunk |
18 April 1918 | Pentyrch | ![]() |
3,312 | Sunk |
26 May 1918 | Dayspring | ![]() |
57 | Sunk |
26 May 1918 | Eclipse | ![]() |
47 | Sunk |
26 May 1918 | Fortuna | ![]() |
61 | Sunk |
31 May 1918 | Alert | ![]() |
59 | Sunk |
3 June 1918 | Antiope | ![]() |
3,004 | Damaged |
6 June 1918 | Active | ![]() |
57 | Sunk |
6 June 1918 | Beryl | ![]() |
57 | Sunk |
6 June 1918 | Dianthus | ![]() |
51 | Sunk |
29 June 1918 | Grekland | ![]() |
2,751 | Sunk |
29 June 1918 | Florentia | ![]() |
3,688 | Sunk |
1 July 1918 | Charing Cross | ![]() |
2,534 | Sunk |
2 July 1918 | Admiral | ![]() |
102 | Sunk |
2 July 1918 | Madeleine | ![]() |
158 | Damaged |
2 July 1918 | Nord | ![]() |
409 | Sunk |
7 July 1918 | Aby | ![]() |
15 | Sunk |
7 July 1918 | Albion | ![]() |
22 | Sunk |
7 July 1918 | Leeds | ![]() |
161 | Damaged |
26 July 1918 | Boy Jack | ![]() |
57 | Sunk |
26 July 1918 | Godesgenage | ![]() |
40 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Counsellor | ![]() |
56 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Fear Not | ![]() |
59 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | I’ll Try | ![]() |
51 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Kirkham Abbey | ![]() |
1,166 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Le Bijou | ![]() |
46 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Paragon | ![]() |
56 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Passion Flower | ![]() |
46 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Success | ![]() |
54 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Valour | ![]() |
39 | Sunk |
28 July 1918 | Francis Robert | ![]() |
44 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 65.
- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 64.
- ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 23–25.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: UB 40". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ UB-40 (+1918) WreckSite
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 40". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
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.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.