SM U-152

Last updated
U 152 Kiel auslaufend 5. September 1918.jpg
U-152 departs at Kiel, 5 September 1918
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-152
Ordered29 November 1916
Builder Reiherstiegwerft, Hamburg
Launched20 May 1917
Commissioned17 October 1917
Fate
  • Surrendered, November 1918
  • Scuttled English Channel 30 June 1921
General characteristics [1]
Class and type Type U 151 submarine
Displacement
  • 1,512 tonnes (1,488 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 1,875 tonnes (1,845 long tons) (submerged)
  • 2,272 tonnes (2,236 long tons) (total)
Length
Beam
  • 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in) (o/a)
  • 5.80 m (19 ft) (pressure hull)
Height9.25 m (30 ft 4 in)
Draught5.30 m (17 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 800 PS (590 kW; 790 bhp) (surfaced)
  • 800 PS (590 kW; 790 bhp) (submerged)
Propulsion2 × shafts, 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed
  • 12.4 knots (23.0 km/h; 14.3 mph) surfaced
  • 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph) submerged
Range25,000  nmi (46,000 km; 29,000 mi) at 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) surfaced, 65 nmi (120 km; 75 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth50 metres (160 ft)
Complement6 officers, 50 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • U-Kreuzer Flotilla
  • 20 October 1917 - 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Constantin Kolbe
  • 20 October 1917 – 3 May 1918
  • KrvKpt. Gehrard von Zitzewitz
  • 4 May – 24 August 1918
  • Kptlt. Adolf Franz
  • 25 August – 15 November 1918
Operations: 2 patrols
Victories:
  • 19 merchant ships sunk
    (37,505  GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (11,406  GRT)

SM U-152 was a Type U 151 submarine of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.

Contents

Built at Hamburg, the submarine was commissioned in October 1917. Initially intended as a submersible merchantman for transporting critical war materiel through the British blockade, she was converted to a combat ship while under construction.

Service history

U-152 was actively employed in the Atlantic during the last year of the conflict. Among her victims were two American schooners, Julia Frances (sunk on 27 January 1918) and A.E. Whyland (sunk on 13 March 1918), the Norwegian barque Stifinder (boarded and scuttled on 13 October 1918), the Spanish Giralda (sunk on 25 January 1918), and the U.S. Navy cargo ship USS Ticonderoga. The latter was sunk, after a two-hour gun battle, with heavy casualties among her crew and passengers, on 30 September 1918. The previous day, 29 September, the submarine had also fought a gun battle with the Navy oiler USS George G. Henry, but despite being badly damaged the American ship escaped.

After returning to Germany in November 1918, at the end of her final wartime cruise, U-152 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 24 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. She was exhibited at Tower Bridge in London in December 1918, and then laid up at Portsmouth. On 30 June 1921, she was towed out into the English Channel and scuttled. [2] [3]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [4]
25 January 1918 Giralda Flag of Spain (Civil).svg  Spain 2,194Sunk
26 January 1918 Germano Flag Portugal sea (1830).svg  Portugal 236Sunk
26 January 1918 Serra Do Gerez Flag Portugal sea (1830).svg  Portugal 257Sunk
27 January 1918 Julia Frances Flag of the United States.svg  United States 183Sunk
28 January 1918 Neptuno Flag Portugal sea (1830).svg  Portugal 321Sunk
5 February 1918 Sebastian Flag of Spain (Civil).svg  Spain 2,563Sunk
9 February 1918 Ceferino Flag of Spain (Civil).svg  Spain 3,647Sunk
15 February 1918 Neguri Flag of Spain (Civil).svg  Spain 1,859Sunk
16 February 1918 Mar Caspio Flag of Spain (Civil).svg  Spain 2,723Sunk
24 February 1918 Gaetana Costanzo Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Kingdom of Italy 1,027Sunk
26 February 1918 Siljestad Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4,298Sunk
6 March 1918 Elector Flag Portugal sea (1830).svg  Portugal 134Sunk
7 March 1918 Luigi Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Kingdom of Italy 3,549Sunk
13 March 1918 A. E. Whyland Flag of the United States.svg  United States 130Sunk
16 March 1918 Ellaston Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,192Sunk
31 March 1918 Indien Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 4,199Sunk
3 April 1918 Elsie Birdett Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 118Sunk
11 September 1918 Constance Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 199Damaged
29 September 1918 USS George G. Henry Flag of the United States Navy (official).svg  United States Navy 6,936Damaged
30 September 1918 USS Ticonderoga Flag of the United States Navy (official).svg  United States Navy 5,130Sunk
14 October 1918 Stifinder Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,745Sunk
15 October 1918 Messina Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,271Damaged

Notes

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

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References

  1. Gröner 1991, pp. 20–21.
    • McCartney, Innes (2002). Lost patrols : submarine wrecks of the English Channel. Penzance: Periscope. ISBN   978-1-90438-104-4.
  2. Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. pp. 54, 12. ISBN   978-1-5267-4198-1.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 152". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 June 2018.

Bibliography

50°00′00″N01°17′45″W / 50.00000°N 1.29583°W / 50.00000; -1.29583