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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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SM UC-5
SM UC-5 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 had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 13 June 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 19 June 1915 as SM UC-5. She served in World War I under the command of Herbert Pustkuchen (June - December 1915) and Ulrich Mohrbutter (December 1915 - April 1916).

She ran aground and was abandoned but recovered by the Allies and displayed for propaganda purposes.

Design

A Type UC I submarine, UC-5 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 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 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), a Siemens-Schuckert electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).

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 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-5 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 Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.

Service

UC-5 had an impressive career, with 30 ships sunk for a total of 36,126 GRT and 1,105 tons on 29 patrols. On August 21, 1915 UC-5 became the first submarine minelayer to penetrate into the English Channel, laying 12 mines off Boulogne, one of which sank the steamship William Dawson the same day. UC-5 went on to lay 6 more mines off Boulogne and Folkestone on 7 September, one of which sank the cable layer Monarch.

Fate

Bow view of UC-5 in Central Park

UC-5 ran aground while on patrol 27 April 1916 at 51°59′N 1°38′E / 51.983°N 1.633°E / 51.983; 1.633 and was scuttled. Her crew were captured by HMS Firedrake. The U-boat was salvaged and put into a floating dock by teams from Harwich and Chatham, led by Captain Young and Lt Paterson--a dangerous procedure because of the two mines still on board. Her captain had also rigged up explosive charges to wreck his ship in the event of abandoning, which the British press described as an attempt to kill the RN personnel who rescued his crew. Paterson was able to find and disable them after being warned by one of the prisoners. The U-Boat was towed first to Harwich, then on to Sheerness, where an approved party of journalists and even two war artists were taken to inspect it. (Refs: Nore Command Records ADM 151/83 at UK National Archives, E F Knight "The Harwich Force", contemporary editions of Daily Telegraph & Daily Mail).

Later it was towed up and displayed to the London public at Temple Pier on the Thames river and, the following year, in New York for propaganda purposes.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage Fate
6 August 1915 HMT Leandros  Royal Navy 276 Sunk
13 August 1915 Amethyst  United Kingdom 57 Sunk
13 August 1915 Summerfield  United Kingdom 687 Sunk
13 August 1915 Sverige  Sweden 1,602 Sunk
21 August 1915 William Dawson  United Kingdom 284 Sunk
30 August 1915 Bretwalda  United Kingdom 4,037 Damaged
30 August 1915 Honiton  United Kingdom 4,914 Sunk
30 August 1915 Saint Chamond  France 2,866 Damaged
8 September 1915 Monarch  United Kingdom 1,122 Sunk
19 September 1915 Tord  Sweden 1,313 Damaged
4 October 1915 Enfield  United Kingdom 2,124 Damaged
6 October 1915 HMS Brighton Queen  Royal Navy 553 Sunk
10 October 1915 Newcastle  United Kingdom 3,403 Sunk
12 October 1915 HMD Frons Olivae  Royal Navy 98 Sunk
19 October 1915 HMT Erin II  Royal Navy 181 Sunk
20 October 1915 HMD Star of Buchan  Royal Navy 81 Sunk
22 October 1915 Grappler  United Kingdom 690 Damaged
23 October 1915 Ilaro  United Kingdom 2,799 Sunk
25 October 1915 HMS Velox  Royal Navy 380 Sunk
17 November 1915 HMHS Anglia  Royal Navy 1,862 Sunk
17 November 1915 Lusitania  United Kingdom 1,834 Sunk
19 November 1915 HMT Falmouth III  Royal Navy 198 Sunk
29 November 1915 Dotterel  United Kingdom 1,596 Sunk
26 December 1915 HMS E6  Royal Navy 725 Sunk
26 December 1915 HMT Resono  Royal Navy 230 Sunk
12 January 1916 Algerian  United Kingdom 3,837 Sunk
13 January 1916 HMT Albion II  Royal Navy 240 Sunk
1 February 1916 Prinses Juliana  Netherlands 2,885 Sunk
15 February 1916 Bandoeng  Netherlands 5,851 Damaged
20 February 1916 Dingle  United Kingdom 593 Sunk
21 February 1916 La Flandre  Netherlands 2,018 Sunk
24 February 1916 Tummel  United Kingdom 531 Sunk
26 March 1916 Hebe  France 1,494 Sunk
26 March 1916 Khartoum  United Kingdom 303 Sunk
27 March 1916 Harriet  Denmark 1,372 Sunk
31 March 1916 Clinton  United Kingdom 3,381 Damaged
31 March 1916 Memento  Norway 1,076 Sunk

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.

References

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 5". 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. ^ Gibson, R.H.; Maurice Prendergast (2002). The German Submarine War 1914-1918. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 51. ISBN 1-904381-08-1.
  5. ^ "The Flandern U-boat bases and U-Bootflottille Flandern by Johan Ryheul at U-boat.net". Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  6. ^ "Ships hit by UC-5". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 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 3-8132-0758-7.
  • 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.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
  • Stern, Robert C. (2002). Battle Beneath the Waves: U-boats at War. Cassell Military Paperbacks. ISBN 0-304-36228-X.
  • 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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