SM U-28 (Germany)

Last updated
German submarine SM U-28.jpg
SM U-28 seen from Batavier V, a ship she captured as a prize in March 1915.
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-28
Ordered19 February 1912
Builder Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Yard number18
Launched30 August 1913
Commissioned26 June 1914
FateSunk 2 September 1917. 39 dead.
General characteristics [1]
Class and type German Type U 27 submarine
Displacement
  • 675  t (664 long tons) surfaced
  • 878 t (864 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.48 m (11 ft 5 in)
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,420  nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft)
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • IV Flotilla
  • 1 August 1914 - Unknown end
  • Training Flotilla
  • Unknown start – 10 May 1917
  • IV Flotilla
  • 10 May – 2 September 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner [2]
  • 1 August 1914 – 14 June 1916
  • Kptlt. Otto Rohrbeck [3]
  • 15 June – 4 August 1916
  • Kptlt. Freiherr von Loë-Degenhart [4]
  • 5 August 1916 – 14 January 1917
  • Kptlt. Georg Schmidt [5]
  • 15 January – 2 September 1917 [6]
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 39 merchant ships sunk
    (89,632  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (494  GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,976  GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (3,226  GRT)
SM U-28 sinking the SS Falaba Eerste Wereldoorlog, SFA002004958.jpg
SM U-28 sinking the SS Falaba

SM U-28 [lower-alpha 1] was a Type U 27 U-boat that served in the First World War. It conducted 5 patrols, sinking 40 ships totalling 90,126 GRT.

Contents

Career

U-28 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 26 June 1914, with Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner (1882-1940) in command. [2] Commander von Forstner was relieved on 15 June 1916 by Otto Rohrbeck, who was in turn relieved on 5 August by Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart. On 15 January 1917, Georg Schmidt took command.

On 30 July 1915, U-28 sank the British steamer Iberian . According to Commander von Forstner's account of the incident, the wreckage remained under the water for about 25 seconds until an explosion sent some of the debris flying up. It is said that along with the debris, a creature described as a "gigantic aquatic animal" resembling a crocodile was seen, which quickly disappeared from sight. [7]

Sinking

U-28's final patrol began on 19 August 1917, when it departed from Emden for the Arctic Ocean. On 2 September, at 11:55 am, it encountered the armed English steamer Olive Branch, 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) north-by-northeast of North Cape, Norway. U-28 scored a torpedo hit, and closed in to finish the steamer with gunfire. The shells detonated Olive Branch's cargo of munitions, which it had been carrying from England to Arkhangelsk, Russia, and the subsequent explosion so badly damaged the U-boat that it sank along with the steamer. All 39 of its crew were lost; some were seen swimming, but were not picked up by Olive Branch's lifeboats. [8]

An alternative description of the event states that when the ammunition detonated, a truck carried as deck cargo was blown into the air and fell from a great height on the U-boat, sinking it. [9]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [lower-alpha 2] Fate [10]
17 March 1915 Leeuwarden Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 990Sunk
18 March 1915 Zaanstrom Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1,657Captured as prize
18 March 1915 Batavier V Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1,569Captured as prize
25 March 1915 Medea Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1,235Sunk
27 March 1915 Aguila Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,114Sunk
27 March 1915 South Point Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,837Sunk
27 March 1915 Vosges Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,295Sunk
28 March 1915 Falaba Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,806Sunk
28 March 1915 City Of Cambridge Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,788Damaged
29 March 1915 Flaminian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,500Sunk
29 March 1915 Theseus Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,723Damaged
30 March 1915 Crown of Castile Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,505Sunk
30 July 1915 Iberian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,223Sunk
31 July 1915 Nugget Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 405Sunk
31 July 1915 Turquoise Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 486Sunk
1 August 1915 Benvorlich Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,381Sunk
1 August 1915 Clintonia Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,830Sunk
1 August 1915 Koophandel Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1,736Sunk
1 August 1915 Ranza Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,320Sunk
2 August 1915 HMS Portia Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 494Sunk
3 August 1915 Costello Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,591Sunk
4 August 1915 Midland Queen Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada 1,993Sunk
26 March 1916 Norne Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,224Sunk
28 March 1916 Rio Tiete Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,042Sunk
30 March 1916 Trewyn Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,084Sunk
30 March 1916 Saint Hubert Flag of France.svg  France 232Sunk
31 March 1916 Vigo BandMercante1785.svg  Spain 1,137Sunk
1 April 1916 Bengairn Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,127Sunk
29 May 1917 Fridtjof Nansen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,190Sunk
29 May 1917 Karna Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 210Sunk
29 May 1917 Kodan Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 217Sunk
3 June 1917 Merioneth Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,004Sunk
4 June 1917 Algol Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 2,088Sunk
5 June 1917 Alaska Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 90Sunk
5 June 1917 Duen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 30Sunk
5 June 1917 Sydkap Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 40Sunk
8 June 1917 Manchester Engineer Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,465Damaged
8 June 1917 Sverre II Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 44Sunk
10 June 1917 Marie Elsie Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,615Sunk
10 June 1917 Perla Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,355Sunk
28 August 1917 Hidalgo Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,271Sunk
28 August 1917 Whitecourt Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,680Sunk
28 August 1917 Marselieza Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 3,568Sunk
1 September 1917 Dront Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 3,488Sunk
2 September 1917 Olive Branch Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,649Sunk

See also

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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.
  2. ↑ Tonnages are in gross register tons.

Citations

  1. ↑ Gröner 1991, pp. 6–7.
  2. 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner (Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg))". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Rohrbeck". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Freiherr von Loë-Degenhart". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Schmidt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 28". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
  7. ↑ Hearst Magazines (September 1934). "Popular Mechanics". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines: 398–401, 118A. ISSN   0032-4558.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ Spindler, Arno (1932). Der Krieg zur See: Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. Mittler.
  9. ↑ Gwatkin-Williams, R. S. (1922). Under the Black Ensign. Hutchinson & Co.
  10. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 28". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.

Bibliography

72°34′N27°56′E / 72.567°N 27.933°E / 72.567; 27.933

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