SM UB-143

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-143.

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-143.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-143
Ordered	27 June 1917 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost	4,301,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	309
Laid down	27 Oct 1917 [2]
Launched	21 August 1918 [3]
Commissioned	3 October 1918 [3]
Fate	Surrendered to Japan 1 December 1918 [3]
Japan
Name	O-7 [3]
Commissioned	1 December 1918 [3]
Fate	Broken up in Yokohama in 1921 [3]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement	523  t (515 long tons) surfaced 653 t (643 long tons) submerged
Length	55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × Benz four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,050  bhp (780 kW) 2 × Schiffsunion electric motors, 780  shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range	7,280  nmi (13,480 km; 8,380 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 31 men [3]
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10 torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun
Service record
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Hans Adalbert von der Lühe [4] 3 October – 11 November 1918
Operations:	No patrols
Victories:	None

SM UB-143 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German : Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 3 October 1918 as SM UB-143. ^{[Note 1]}

She was surrendered to Japan on 1 December 1918 and served in the Imperial Japanese Navy as O-7 until 1921, when she was broken up in Yokohama. ^[3]

Construction

Main article: German Type UB III submarine

Built by AG Weser of Bremen in one year of construction, UB-143 was launched at Bremen on 21 August 1918, carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun. UB-143 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,280 nautical miles (13,480 km; 8,380 mi). Displacement was 523  t (515 long tons) while surfaced and 653 t (643 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.

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.

Citations

1. Rössler 1979, p. 56.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 143". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Adalbert von der Lühe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2015.

Bibliography

• Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN   3-8132-0713-7.
• 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.
• Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN   3-7637-5213-7.