SM U-135

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SM U 135 at sea.jpg
SM U-135 at sea, 1917
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-135
Ordered27 May 1916 [1]
Builder Kaiserliche Werft Danzig [1]
Laid down4 November 1916 [1]
Launched8 September 1917 [1]
Commissioned20 June 1918 [1]
Fate
  • Surrendered, 20 November 1918
  • Sunk as target 30 June 1921.
General characteristics [2]
Class and type Type U 127 submarine
Displacement
  • 1,175  t (1,156 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,534 t (1,510 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 7.54 m (24 ft 9 in) o/a
  • 4.85 m (15 ft 11 in) pressure hull
Height9.46 m (31 ft)
Draught4.26 m (14 ft 0 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × MAN diesel engines, 3,353 bhp (2,500 kW) total
  • 2 × diesel generators for surface dash, 888 brake horsepower (662 kW) total
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,667 shp (1,243 kW) total
Propulsion2 × propeller shafts
Speed
  • 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,000  nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth75 m (246 ft)
Complement44 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • unknown start – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Johannes Spieß [3]
  • 20 June – 11 November 1918
Operations: None
Victories: None

SM U-135 [Note 1] was a German Type U 127 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.

Contents

History

Built at the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, the U-boat was laid down on 4 November 1916, launched on 8 September 1917 and commissioned 20 June 1918.

In November 1918, U-135 was ordered to help put down the German Navy mutiny at Wilhelmshaven. Along with the 4th Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla, U-135 ended the mutiny aboard two German battleships SMS Thüringen and SMS Helgoland by threatening to torpedo the ships.

U-135 was seen by later submarine designers as an excellent design. She was an inspiration for V-boats USS Cachalot and USS Cuttlefish.

She was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. Taken over by the UK, the boat was taken to Devonport, where her engines and various other items of equipment were stripped by a team of 25 students led by Technical Officer Richard Finney [1888-1953] under the auspices of J. F. Driver from the then Loughborough College. This equipment was reassembled initially in a wooden hut in Packe Street, Loughborough, and later in a purpose built generating station opened in 1937. They were finally taken out of use, and replaced, in 1949. [4] Finally, on 30 June 1921, the hulk was towed out to sea and sunk by gunfire from the submarines HMS/M L21 and L52, in company with U-161. [5]

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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-35 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 22 June 1916 as SM UB-35.

SM UC-17 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was ordered on 29 August 1915 and launched on 29 February 1916. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 21 July 1916 as SM UC-17.

SM UC-20 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 1 April 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 7 September 1916 as SM UC-20. In 13 patrols UC-20 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-20 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Preston in 1919–20.

SM UC-22 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy 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 30 June 1916 as SM UC-22. In 15 patrols UC-22 was credited with sinking 23 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-22 was surrendered to France on 3 February 1919 and was broken up at Landerneau in July 1921.

SM UC-23 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 29 February 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 July 1916 as SM UC-23. In 17 patrols UC-23 was credited with sinking 46 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-23 was surrendered at Sevastopol on 25 November 1918 and broken up at Bizerta in August 1921.

SM UC-25 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 10 June 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 28 June 1916 as SM UC-25. In 13 patrols UC-25 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. From March to September 1918, she was commanded by Karl Dönitz, later grand admiral in charge of all U-boats in World War II. UC-25 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.

SM UC-31 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 2 September 1916 as SM UC-31. In 13 patrols UC-31 was credited with sinking 38 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-31 was surrendered on 26 November 1918 and broken up at Canning Town in 1922.

SM UC-40 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 5 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 1 October 1916 as SM UC-40. In 17 patrols UC-40 was credited with sinking 30 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-40 was being taken to surrender but foundered in the North Sea en route on 21 January 1919.

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SM <i>UC-56</i>

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SM UC-79 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I.

SM <i>UB-64</i> German submarine

SM UB-64 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 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.

SM <i>UB-78</i>

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SM <i>UB-89</i>

SM UB-89 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 25 February 1918 as SM UB-89.

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.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 135". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  2. ↑ Gröner 1991, pp. 15–16.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Spieß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Leonard Cantor, Loughborough University of Technology: Past and Present, 1990, LUT, p.50.
  5. ↑ Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. pp. 54, 126. ISBN   978-1-5267-4198-1.

Bibliography

49°38.5′N4°33′W / 49.6417°N 4.550°W / 49.6417; -4.550


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