SM U-59

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-59.

History
German Empire
Name	U-59
Ordered	6 October 1914
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	214
Laid down	13 July 1915
Launched	20 June 1916
Commissioned	7 September 1916
Fate	Sunk 14 May 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class & type	Type U 57 submarine
Displacement	786  t (774 long tons) surfaced 956 t (941 long tons) submerged
Length	67.00 m (219 ft 10 in) (o/a) 54.22 m (177 ft 11 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (oa) 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Height	8.05 m (26 ft 5 in)
Draught	3.79 m (12 ft 5 in)
Installed power	2 × 1,800  PS (1,324  kW; 1,775  shp) surfaced 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion	2 shafts
Speed	14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph) surfaced 8.4 knots (15.6 km/h; 9.7 mph) submerged
Range	7,730  nmi (14,320 km; 8,900 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 depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement	36
Armament	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern) 7 torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun
Service record
Part of	II Flotilla 20 November 1916 – 14 May 1917
Commanders	Kptlt. Freiherr Wilhelm von Fircks [2] 7 September 1916 – 14 May 1917
Operations	4 patrols
Victories	14 merchant ships sunk (28,050  GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (6,526  GRT)

SM U-59 ^{[Note 1]} was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-59 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. She struck a German mine and broke into two parts at Horns Reef ( 55°33′N7°15′E / 55.550°N 7.250°E / 55.550; 7.250 ) at about midnight on 14 May 1917. She lost 33 of her crew; there were 4 survivors. The wreck of U-59 was located in 2002. ^[3]

The SM U-59 deck gun is on display at the Strandingsmuseum St. George Thorsminde.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 2]	Fate [4]
7 December 1916	August	Sweden	341	Sunk
8 December 1916	Harry	Sweden	81	Sunk
13 January 1917	Solvang	Norway	2,970	Sunk
16 January 1917	Brenn	France	2,189	Sunk
19 January 1917	Gaea	Norway	1,002	Sunk
23 January 1917	Sardinia	Norway	1,500	Sunk
19 March 1917	Charlois	Netherlands	2,786	Sunk
20 March 1917	Gurre	Denmark	2,866	Sunk
21 March 1917	Najade	Norway	1,752	Sunk
31 March 1917	Valacia	United Kingdom	6,526	Damaged
2 April 1917	Snespurven	Norway	1,409	Sunk
5 April 1917	Canadian	United Kingdom	9,309	Sunk
6 April 1917	Amiral L’hermite	France	156	Sunk
6 April 1917	Roland	France	135	Sunk
9 April 1917	Fremad I	Norway	1,554	Sunk

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: Freiherr Wilhelm von Fircks". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 59". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 59". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.

Bibliography

• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-593-4.

External links

• JD-Contractor presentation of diving expedition to the submarine U59 in 2002