SM U-102

Last updated

History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-102
Ordered15 September 1915
Builder AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number253
Laid down12 August 1916
Launched12 May 1917
Commissioned18 June 1917
FateSunk by mine, 30 September 1918
General characteristics [1]
Class and type German Type U 57 submarine
Displacement
  • 750  t (740 long tons) surfaced
  • 952 t (937 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draught3.65 m (12 ft)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,400  PS (1,765  kW; 2,367  shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 × 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers
Speed
  • 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) surfaced
  • 8.8 knots (16.3 km/h; 10.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,100  nmi (18,700 km; 11,600 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement4 officers, 32 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • II Flotilla
  • 5 August 1917 – 30 September 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Ernst Killmann
  • 5 August 1917 – 25 November 1917
  • Kptlt. Curt Beitzen
  • 26 November 1917 – 27 September 1918
Operations: 7 patrols
Victories:
  • 5 merchant ships sunk
    (9,340  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (10,757  GRT)

SM U-102 or SM Unterseeboot 102 was a German Type U 57 submarine used by the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-102 was launched on 12 May 1917. She was commissioned to the Imperial Navy on 18 June 1917. [2]

Contents

Service history

Serving with II Flotilla the U-boat carried out seven war patrols and sank four ships for a total of 9,340  gross register tons  (GRT), and damaged another of 10,757  GRT tons (HMS Virginian). [2]

About 28 to 30 September 1918 U-102 struck a mine in the North Sea Mine Barrage, east of the Orkney Islands while on her way to home. All of her 42 crew members' lives were claimed by the U-boat's sinking. The wreck of U-102 was located by a sonar sweep in 2006. Information to confirm the identification was obtained by divers in 2007. [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [3]
21 August 1917 HMS Virginian Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 10,757Damaged
8 December 1917 Lucien Flag of France.svg  France 200Sunk
13 December 1917 Noviembre Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 3,500Sunk
21 February 1918 Cheviot Range Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,691Sunk
3 March 1918 Romeo Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,730Sunk
24 June 1918 Caroline Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 219Sunk

See also

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References

Notes

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

Citations

  1. Gröner 1991, pp. 12–14.
  2. 1 2 3 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 102". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 102". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2015.

Bibliography