SM U-44

Last updated
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-44
Ordered10 July 1913
Builder Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number22
Launched15 October 1914
Commissioned7 May 1915
FateSunk 12 August 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class and type Type U-43 submarine
Displacement
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length65 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.70 m (28 ft 7 in)
Draught3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,000  PS (1,471  kW; 1,973  shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) surfaced
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 11,400  nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 51 nmi (94 km; 59 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement36
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • Unknown start - 12 August 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Paul Wagenführ
  • 7 May 1915 – 12 August 1917
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories:
  • 20 merchant ships sunk
    (70,236  GRT)
  • 2 auxiliary warships sunk
    (2,306  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (4,154  GRT)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (1,250 tons)
  • 3 merchant ships taken as prize
    (430  GRT)
War memorial in Ruhstorf an der Rott (Bavaria) mentioning local man Hermann Falk, who was killed in action when U-44 was sunk Kriegerdenkmal bei der Marienkirche (Ruhstorf an der Rott) St Quentin U 44 Kemmelberg.jpg
War memorial in Ruhstorf an der Rott (Bavaria) mentioning local man Hermann Falk, who was killed in action when U-44 was sunk

SM U-44 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1915, she was sunk in August 1917.

Contents

Operations

SM U-44, under the command of Paul Wagenführ, was completed at Danzig about June or July 1915. She later joined the Kiel School, where she remained until 20 August 1915 undergoing trials. She then proceeded to the North Sea and was attached to the 3rd Half Flotilla.

On 12 August 1917, U-44 was rammed and sunk in the North Sea south of Norway ( 58°50′N4°20′E / 58.833°N 4.333°E / 58.833; 4.333 ) by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Oracle with the loss of all 44 of her crew. [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [3]
25 March 1916 Ottomar Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire 327Sunk
27 March 1916 Manchester Engineer Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,302Sunk
29 March 1916 HMS Begonia Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 1,250Damaged
30 March 1916 Bell Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,765Sunk
31 March 1916 Achilles Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,043Sunk
31 March 1916 Goldmouth Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,446Sunk
31 March 1916 Hans Gude Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,110Sunk
1 April 1916 Ashburton Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,445Sunk
27 September 1916 Thurso Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,244Sunk
16 January 1917 Baron Sempill Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,607Sunk
23 January 1917 Agnes Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 125Captured as prize
23 January 1917 George E. Benson Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 155Captured as prize
23 January 1917 Vera Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 150Captured as prize
6 March 1917 Caldergrove Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,327Sunk
6 March 1917 Fenay Lodge Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,223Sunk
7 March 1917 Ohio Flag of France.svg  France 8,719Sunk
8 March 1917 Dunbarmoor Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,651Sunk
8 March 1917 Silas Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 750Sunk
10 March 1917 Aracataca Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,154Damaged
14 March 1917 Bray Head Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,077Sunk
16 March 1917 Narragansett Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 9,196Sunk
28 April 1917 Vacuum Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 2,551Sunk
2 May 1917 Natuna Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,121Sunk
21 July 1917 HMT Robert Smith Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 211Sunk
24 July 1917 Thorsdal Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,200Sunk
27 July 1917 John Hays Hammond Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 132Sunk
5 August 1917 HMS Bracondale Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 2,095Sunk

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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. 8–10.
  2. "U 44". Uboat.net. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 44". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 November 2014.

Bibliography

58°50′N4°20′E / 58.833°N 4.333°E / 58.833; 4.333