The submarine conducted seven patrols and sank 40 ships during the war for a total loss of 97,922gross register tons(GRT) and 16,499 tons. She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-50 surrendered on 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following an order by Admiral Reinhard Scheer to return to port. During her passage through the Straits of Gibraltar, she managed to sink the battleship HMSBritannia. UB-50 was later broken up at Swansea.[2]
UB-50 was ordered by the German Imperial Navy on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 6 January 1917. UB-50 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Franz Becker. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-50 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with an 8.8cm (3.5in) SK L/30 deck gun. UB-50 could carry a crew of up to 34 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740km; 10,400mi).[2]UB-50 had a displacement of 516t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 651t (641 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2km/h; 15.7mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15km/h; 9.2mph) when submerged.[2]
Service history
First patrol
Soon after she left Pola, UB-50 encountered the William H. Crawford, a 1,593GRT American sailing ship. It sank after an attack from the U-boat stopped her.[3] Four days later, UB-50 sighted the 800GRT British barge R.B.40. UB 50 launched a torpedo which instead hit the British tug towing the ship, the 121GRTH.s.3. The tug sank, but the barge was not sunk.[4] The following day, UB-50 found two Portuguese sailboats Correiro De Sines and Comizianes Da Graca at 32GRT and 32GRT respectively.[5] They were sunk 6 nautical miles (11km; 6.9mi) north of Cape Sines.[6] A day later, she found the Portuguese 196GRT ship Sado, which she sank about 16 nautical miles (30km; 18mi) south of her prey the day before.[7] Four days later, UB-50 finally encountered and sank a merchant, this being the 3,611GRT British Polar Prince, carrying coal for Malta.[8] Two days later, she sank the Fabian, a 2,246GRT British steamer going to Liverpool, killing three.[9] Later that day, she sank the Gioffredo Mameli, a 4,124GRT ton Italian steamer carrying ore.[10] The 2,464GRT coal carrying Greek steamer Alkyon was attacked two days later by UB-50, sinking close off Oran.[11] The UB 50 followed up with the sinking of the 1,670GRT Norwegian steamer John Knudsen, killing one.[12] Four days later, the 296GRT Italian sailboat Ciro was scuttled after being hit by UB-50,[13] the last ship she would sink before returning to base.
Second patrol
SM UB-50 began her second patrol with the sinking of the Marc Fraissinet, a 3,060GRT French steamer carrying wood, munitions, and hay to Bizerte. It sank 15 nautical miles (28km; 17mi) north of Tabarca after being torpedoed by UB-50.[14] Later that day UB 50 encountered the Senegal, an 845GRT Italian steamer, sinking her off the coast of Algeria with no casualties.[15] Three days after that, the Margram Abbey, a 4,367GRT British steamer carrying coal, was found and torpedoed by UB-50. It was beached off the coast of Algeria, but the torpedo damage, which killed two, had wrecked the ship.[16] UB 50 attacked the Antaeus, a 3,061GRT British steamer, three days later off Cape Bon. There were no casualties, but the captain was taken prisoner. On the following day, UB 50 torpedoed the Amberton, a 4,556GRT British steamer, but she was only damaged.[17] Four days later, the submarine found her last target of her second patrol, the 2,774GRT American steamer Rizal, which sank 9 nautical miles (17km; 10mi) from Cape Cavallo.[18]
Third patrol
UB-50 started out her third patrol by finding and sinking the 96GRT Italian sailboat S. Giuseppe B. off the coast of Africa.[19] She sank the 8,293GRT British steamer City of Lucknow two days later 50 nautical miles (93km; 58mi) northeast of the Cani Rocks.[20] On Christmas Day, 1917, UB-50 sank the Sant’ Antonio, an 843GRT Italian sailing vessel, by gunfire near Bizerte.[21] On New Year's Day, 1918, the Egyptian Transport, a 4,648GRT British steamer, was damaged during an attack by UB-50, which killed five men. It was later beached but refloated.[22] Two days later, the Allanton, a 4,253GRT British steamer carrying coal, was sunk by UB-50,[23] which also sunk the Steelville, a 3,649GRT British steamer also carrying coal later that day.[24] Four days later, UB-50 torpedoed the Arab, a 4,191GRT British steamer coal off the coast of Cape Serrat, killing 21.[25]
Fourth patrol
UB-50's fourth patrol was very successful. In less than a month, she sank six vessels. The first victim was the 2,457GRT French steamer Saint Jean Ii, which went down 22 March 1918 off Cap Bon.[26] That same day, UB-50 managed to damage the British steamer Shadwell off Bizerta.[27] Four days later UB-50 sank the 11,495GRT Italian steamer Volturno off Bone (Annaba), Algeria.[28] On 6 April, UB-50 sank the French vessel Madeleine Iii and on 11 April, she sank the Italian sailing ship Carmela G and the British vessel Highland Prince.[29][30]
Fifth patrol
UB-50 began her fifth war patrol by damaging the 3,926GRT British steamer Elswick Grange carrying coal off the coast of Oran, killing one.[31] Two days later, she ran across the 3,152GRT British steamer Mavisbrook carrying coal. She was torpedoed south east of Cabo de Gata, killing 18.[32] On that same day, she came upon the 168GRT Danish three-masted iron-hulled schooner Kirstine Jesen, sinking after being fired upon from UB-50's deck gun with no deaths.[33] Two days later, the New Sweden, a 5,319GRT Swedish steamer, was hit by UB-50 and sank.[34] Two days later, UB-50 found the 180GRT Spanish steamer Maria Pia, which sank with no casualties.[35] Three days after that, the 117GRT French sailboat Animal Lafont and 257GRT Italian sailboat Santa Teresa were torpedoed by the U-boat with no casualties.[36][37]
Sixth patrol
Shortly before her sixth patrol, Oberleutnant zur SeeHeinrich Kukat took over command from Kptlt. Becker.[38] On her sixth patrol, UB-50 encountered the Imber, a 2,514GRT British steamer and torpedoed her south of Cape St. Maria di Leuca, though she survived.[39] Three days later, UB-50 sank the War Swallow, a 5,216GRT British merchant ship carrying coal from the River Tyne to Port Said.[40] Another three days passed before UB-50 found her next target, the Italian steamer Adria 1, a ship carrying cotton from Palermo to Tunis. It sank, but there were no deaths.[41] Two days later, the 5,257GRT British steamer Upada was torpedoed by UB-50 killing three, but was only damaged.[42]UB-50 sank the Messidor, a 3,883GRT British coal steamer two days later, sinking the ship and killing one.[43] The following day, she torpedoed the Rutherglen, a 4,214GRT British steam merchant carrying coal.[44] That was followed by an attack on the Magellan, a 3,642GRT British steamer on the following day. She sank with one man.[45] The last ship sunk on the patrol was the Antonio S., a 175GRT Italian sailboat sunk off the coast of Tunisia.[46]
Seventh patrol
Britannia sinking in the Atlantic off Cape Trafalgar on 9 November 1918.
On 9 November 1918, two days before the Armistice with Germany, UB-50 sank the British battleship HMS Britannia. The Britannia was on a voyage to Gibraltar when she was torpedoed off Cape Trafalgar.[47] After the initial explosion, the ship began listing ten degrees to port. A few minutes later, another explosion started a fire in a 9.2in (230mm)magazine, which resulted in a cordite explosion in the magazine. The Britannia stayed at 10-degrees for 2½ hours before sinking.[1][47] Its 16,350-tons made it the largest ship the U-boat ever sank, and the only one UB-50 would sink during her last patrol.[48]
Seiner Majestät UB-4 was a German Type UB I submarine (U-boat) in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was sunk by a British Q-ship disguised as a fishing smack in August 1915.
SM UB-5 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. She sank five ships during her career and was broken up in Germany in 1919.
SM UB-46 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-46 operated in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, and was sunk by a mine in December 1916.
SM U-15 or U-XV was a U-10-class submarine or U-boat of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during World War I. U-15 was constructed in Germany and shipped by rail to Pola where she was assembled and launched in April 1915. She was commissioned in October 1915. U-15 was the most successful boat of the U-10 class, sinking six ships totaling 8,044 gross register tons (GRT) and 745 tons. The boat survived the war and was handed over to Italy as a war reparation and scrapped in 1920.
SM U-27 or U-XXVII was the lead boat of the U-27 class of U-boats or submarines for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-27 was built by the Austrian firm of Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT) at the Pola Navy Yard and launched on 19 October 1916. She was commissioned on 24 February 1917.
SM U-28 or U-XXVIII was a U-27-class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-28, built by the Austrian firm of Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT) at the Pola Navy Yard, was launched in January 1917 and commissioned in June.
SM U-40 or U-XL was a U-27 class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-40, built by the Austrian firm of Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT) at the Pola Navy Yard, was launched in April 1917 and commissioned in August.
SM U-32 or U-XXXII was a U-27 class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-32, built by the Hungarian firm of Ganz Danubius at Fiume, was launched in May 1917 and commissioned in June.
SM UB-47 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-47 was sold to the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the war. In Austro-Hungarian service the B was dropped from her name and she was known as SM U-47 or U-XLVII as a member of the Austro-Hungarian U-43 class.
SM UB-43 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-43 was sold to the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the war. In Austro-Hungarian service the B was dropped from her name and she was known as SM U-43 or U-XLIII as the lead boat of the Austro-Hungarian U-43 class.
SM UB-45 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat built for and operated by the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-45 operated in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, and was sunk by a mine in November 1916.
SM UB-42 was a Type UB II submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. UB-42 operated in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas during the war. She was broken up at Malta in 1920.
SM UB-10 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I.
SM UB-12 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine disappeared in August 1918.
SM UB-13 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine was probably sunk by a British mine net in April 1916.
SM UB-16 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine was sunk by a British submarine in May 1918.
SM UB-17 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine disappeared during a patrol in March 1918.
SM UB-2 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She sank eleven ships during her career and was broken up in Germany in 1920.
SM UB-6 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine was interned after running aground in neutral Dutch waters, and was scuttled by her crew at Hellevoetsluis.
SM U-24 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was engaged in commerce warfare during the First Battle of the Atlantic.
References
Notes
↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
1 2 3 4 5 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 50". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Tug H.s.3". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Sado". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Fabian". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Alkyon". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Rizal". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Arab". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Elswick Grange". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Mavisbrook". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: New Sweden". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Maria Pia". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Animal Lafont". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Santa Teresa". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Imber". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Steamer Upada". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
1 2 Burt, p. 253, says that Britannia listed 10 degrees within "minutes" of the first explosion, then held that list for 2½ hours before sinking, while Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921, p. 9, claims that she stayed afloat for a total of 3½ hours before sinking, making the length of time it took her to sink ambiguous
1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-50". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
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