German Type UB II submarine

Last updated
SM UB 45.jpg
SM UB-45
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded by UB I
Succeeded by UB III
Built19151916
In commission19151931
Completed30
Active0
Lost20 [1]
Preserved1 (UB-46 was salvaged)
General characteristics
Displacement
  • 263–279 t (259–275 long tons) surfaced
  • 292–305 t (287–300 long tons) submerged
Length36.13–36.90 m (118 ft 6 in – 121 ft 1 in) (o/a)
Beam4.36 m (14 ft 4 in)
Draught3.66–3.75 m (12 ft 0 in – 12 ft 4 in)
Installed power
Propulsion1 shaft, 1 1.15 m (3 ft 9 in) propeller
Speed
  • 8.82–9.15 knots (16.33–16.95 km/h; 10.15–10.53 mph) surfaced
  • 5.71–6.22 knots (10.57–11.52 km/h; 6.57–7.16 mph) submerged
Range
  • 6,450–7,200  nmi (11,950–13,330 km; 7,420–8,290 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement2 officers, 21 men
Armament

The UB II type submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the German Imperial Navy. They were enlarged from the preceding type UB I and were more effective vessels. The boats were a single hull design with a 50-metre maximum diving depth and a 30-45 second diving time. In 1915 and 1916, 30 were built at two different shipyards. [2]

Contents

The design of type UB II addressed many of the problems apparent in the preceding type UB I class. The UB II boats featured a two-shaft drive with a much larger battery capacity and larger engines. Storage batteries were placed forward of the central diving tanks to compensate for the much heavier engine installation. [3]

The armament of the type UB II consisted of 50 cm G torpedoes launched from two bow tubes. The torpedo tubes were installed one above the other to allow for a bow design that would create optimal surface efficiency. A 5 cm gun was provided on the deck for surface use. [3]

The weight of the boat was increased to 270 tons of surface displacement to accommodate these improvements. Saddle tanks were fitted to the sides of the pressure hull to allow greater fuel storage area. [3]

List of Type UB II submarines

There were 30 Type UB II submarines commissioned into the German Imperial Navy.

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    SM <i>UB-81</i>

    SM UB-81 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 September 1917 as SM UB-81.

    SM UB-18 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 21 August 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 11 December 1915 as SM UB-18. The submarine sank 128 ships in 31 patrols for a total of 130,841 GRT and 725 tons, making her the 17th most successful U-boat in both world wars. UB-18 was rammed by the trawler Ben Lawer and sunk in the English Channel at 49°17′N5°47′W on 9 December 1917.

    SM UB-19 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 2 September 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 16 December 1915 as SM UB-19. The submarine sank 13 ships in 15 patrols for a total of 10,040 gross register tons (GRT). UB-19 was sunk in the English Channel at 49°56′N2°45′W on 30 November 1916 by British Q ship HMS Penshurst.

    SM UB-20 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 26 September 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 10 February 1916 as SM UB-20. The submarine sank 13 ships in 15 patrols for a total of 10,230 gross register tons (GRT). UB-20 was mined and sunk on 28 July 1917 at 51°21′N2°38′E. Fifteen crew members died in the event.

    SM UB-21 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 26 September 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 20 February 1916 as SM UB-21. The submarine sank 33 ships in 26 patrols for a total of 36,764 gross register tons (GRT). Surrendered to Britain in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany, UB-21 was sunk as a target by HMS Terror in the Solent on 30 September 1920; the wreck was sold in 1970 and most had been cleared by 1998, although some remnants survive.

    SM UB-23 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 9 October 1915. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 13 March 1916 as SM UB-23. The submarine sank 51 ships in 21 patrols for a total of 33,880 gross register tons (GRT). On 26 July 1917, UB-23 was badly damaged by a depth charge attack by HMS PC-60 off the Lizard; she put in at Corunna, Spain, on 29 July 1917 and was interned. On 22 January 1919 she was surrendered to France in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany, and she was broken up in Cherbourg in July 1921.

    SM UB-29 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 31 December 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 January 1916 as SM UB-29.

    SM UB-27 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 10 February 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 23 February 1916 as SM UB-27. UB-27 sank 11 ships in 17 patrols for a total of 18,091 gross register tons (GRT).

    SM UB-30 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 16 November 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 March 1916 as SM UB-30.

    SM UB-31 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 16 November 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 March 1916 as SM UB-31.

    SM UB-34 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 5 December 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 10 June 1916 as SM UB-34.

    SM UB-36 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 15 January 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 22 May 1916 as SM UB-36.

    SM UB-37 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 28 December 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 June 1916 as SM UB-37.

    SM UB-68 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 October 1917 as SM UB-68. The submarine conducted five patrols and sank five ships during the war. Under the command of Karl Dönitz, on 4 October 1918 UB-68 encountered technical problems and had to surface where she was sunk by gunfire at 33°56′N16°20′E. There was one dead and thirty-three survivors. Other sources name the British warships involved in the sinking of UB-68 as HMS Snapdragon and HMS Cradosin, and claim four crew members died in the event.

    SM UB-107 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 16 February 1918 as SM UB-107.

    SM UB-49 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 28 June 1917 as SM UB-49.

    SM <i>UB-52</i>

    SM UB-52 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 9 August 1917 as SM UB-52.

    SM <i>UB-54</i>

    SM UB-54 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 12 June 1917 as SM UB-54.

    SM <i>UB-63</i>

    SM UB-63 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 23 July 1917 as SM UB-63.

    SM <i>UB-74</i>

    SM UB-74 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 24 October 1917 as SM UB-74.

    References

    1. Bendert 2000, p. 9.
    2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat Types: Type UB II". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
    3. 1 2 3 Rossler 1975, p. 50.

    Bibliography