SM U-54

Last updated

History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-54
Ordered23 August 1914
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number236
Laid down18 March 1915
Launched22 February 1916
Commissioned25 May 1916
Fate24 November 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at Taranto in May 1919. [1]
General characteristics [2]
Class & type Type U 51 submarine
Displacement
  • 715  t (704 long tons) surfaced
  • 902 t (888 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,400  PS (1,765  kW; 2,367  shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,400  nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 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
  • II Flotilla
  • 2 July 1916 – 11 November 1918
Commanders
  • Kptlt. Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer [3]
  • 16 May 1916 – 19 May 1917
  • Kptlt. Kurt Heeseler [4]
  • 20 May 1917 – 22 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Ruckteschell [5]
  • 23 March – 11 November 1918
Operations12 patrols
Victories
  • 26 merchant ships sunk
    (66,713  GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (1,290 tons)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (15,362  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (2,485  GRT)

SM U-54 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-54 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [6]
3 February 1917 Tamara Flag of Norway.svg Norway 453Sunk
4 February 1917 Floridian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 4,777Sunk
4 February 1917 Palmleaf Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 5,489Sunk
5 February 1917AinsdaleCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 1,825Damaged
5 February 1917 Azul Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,074Sunk
7 February 1917 Wallace Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,930Damaged
7 February 1917 Saxonian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 4,855Sunk
15 March 1917 Eugene Pergeline Flag of France.svg France 2,203Sunk
1 April 1917 Consul Persson Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,835Sunk
1 April 1917 Fjelland Flag of Norway.svg Norway 387Sunk
2 April 1917 Havlyst Flag of Norway.svg Norway 532Sunk
3 June 1917San LorenzoCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 9,607Damaged
7 June 1917 Jonathan Holt Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 1,523Sunk
13 June 1917 Darius Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,426Sunk
23 July 1917 Ashleigh Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 6,985Sunk
23 July 1917 Huelva Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 4,867Sunk
25 July 1917 Rustington Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,071Sunk
26 July 1917 Somerset Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 7,163Sunk
31 July 1917 Alcides Flag of Norway.svg Norway 2,704Sunk
16 September 1917 Arabis Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,928Sunk
17 September 1917 Niemen Flag of France.svg France 1,888Sunk
19 September 1917 Marthe Marguerite Flag of France.svg France 588Sunk
24 September 1917 Louis Bossert Flag of Norway.svg Norway 605Sunk
25 September 1917 Marceau Flag of France.svg France 292Sunk
30 April 1918HMS StarmountNaval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 2,485Damaged
8 May 1918 Dux Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 1,349Sunk
8 May 1918 Princess Dagmar Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 913Sunk
10 May 1918 Wileysike Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 2,501Sunk
16 July 1918 HMS Anchusa Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 1,290Sunk
27 September 1918 En Avant Flag of France.svg France 86Sunk
29 September 1918 Libourne Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 1,219Sunk

References

Notes

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

Citations

  1. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Heeseler (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hellmuth von Ruckteschell (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.

Bibliography

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