SM U-140

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-140.

SM U-140 comes alongside SM U-117 to be supplied with fuel, close to the Faroe Islands, 1918
History
German Empire
Name	U-140
Ordered	1 August 1916
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	301
Launched	4 November 1917
Commissioned	28 March 1918
In service	28 March 1918 – 11 November 1918
Fate	Surrendered 23 February 1919 Sunk as target 22 July 1921
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Type U 139 submarine
Displacement	1,930  t (1,900 long tons) surfaced 2,483 t (2,444 long tons) submerged
Length	92.00 m (301 ft 10 in) (o/a) 71.50 m (234 ft 7 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	9.12 m (29 ft 11 in) (o/a) 5.75 m (18 ft 10 in) (pressure hull)
Height	5.27 m (17 ft 3 in)
Draught	11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
Installed power	2 × 3,500  PS (2,574  kW; 3,452  shp) 2 × 450  PS (331  kW; 444  shp) surfaced 2 × 1,780 PS (1,309 kW; 1,756 shp) submerged
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 × 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) propellers
Speed	15.8 knots (29.3 km/h; 18.2 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	17,750  nmi (32,870 km; 20,430 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 53 nmi (98 km; 61 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth	75 m (246 ft 1 in)
Complement	6 (1) officers, 56 (20) enlisted – (prize crew)
Armament	6 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 19-24 torpedoes 2 × 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 deck guns 2 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns
Service record [2]
Part of:	U-Kreuzer Flotilla Unknown start – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Waldemar Kophamel 28 March – 11 November 1918
Operations:	1 patrol
Victories:	6 merchant ships sunk (30,004  GRT) 1 lightship sunk (590 tons)

SM U-140 was a Type U 139 submarine that served in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-140 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. ^[2]

After the end of World War I, U-140 surrendered to the United States, which used her for testing. Finally, the United States Navy destroyer USS Dickerson (DD-157) sank her as a target in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Charles, Virginia, on 22 July 1921.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 1]	Fate [3]
27 July 1918	Porto	Portugal	1,079	Sunk
2 August 1918	Tokuyama Maru	Japan	7,029	Sunk
4 August 1918	O. B. Jennings	United States	10,289	Sunk
5 August 1918	Stanley M. Seaman	United States	1,060	Sunk
6 August 1918	Diamond Shoals LV71	United States Lighthouse Service	590	Sunk
6 August 1918	Merak	United States	3,024	Sunk
21 August 1918	Diomed	United Kingdom	7,523	Sunk

References

Notes

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

Citations

1. Gröner 1991, pp. 19–21.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 140". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 140". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.

Bibliography

• Etzold, Dominic (2023). Reaping the Whirlwind: The U-Boat War off North America During WWI. Atglen: Schiffer Military History. ISBN   978-0-7643-6704-5
• 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.