SM U-56

Last updated
111-SC-41651 - NARA - 55242510-cropped.jpg
U-56 arriving in a spanish port
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-56
Ordered23 August 1914
Builder Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number238
Laid down28 December 1914
Launched18 April 1916
Commissioned23 June 1916
FateMissing since 3 November 1916. 35 dead (all hands lost)
General characteristics [1]
Class and 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
  • 18 June – 3 November 1916
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Hermann Lorenz [2]
  • 24 February – 3 November 1916
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: 5 merchant ships sunk
(5,701  GRT)

SM U-56 [Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-56 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

On 2 November 1916, U-56 was attacked by gunfire from the Imperial Russian Navy destroyer Grozovoi off Khorne Island, Norway (near Vardø). U-56 survived this attack. U-56 dropped off the crew of the Norwegian merchant ship Ivanhoe ashore at 07:45 on 3 November 1916 at Lodsvik. The Norwegian sailors were aboard the ship during the action of the previous day and their description matches with the Russian account. [3]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [4]
22 October 1916 Theodosi Tschernigowski Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 327Sunk
23 October 1916 Rensfjell Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 781Sunk
25 October 1916 Dag Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 963Sunk
26 October 1916 Oola Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,494Sunk
1 November 1916 Ivanhoe Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,136Sunk

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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. 8–10.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hermann Lorenz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 56". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 56". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

Bibliography

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