SM UB-54

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-54.

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-54.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-54
Ordered	20 May 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost	3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	266
Laid down	5 September 1916 [2]
Launched	18 April 1917 [3]
Commissioned	12 June 1917 [3]
Fate	Sunk 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E / 53.250; 0.750 by British destroyers, 36 dead [3]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	Type UB III submarine
Type	Coastal submarine
Displacement	516  t (508 long tons) surfaced 646 t (636 long tons) submerged
Length	55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.72 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × Körting four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,050  bhp (780 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780  shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range	9,020  nmi (16,710 km; 10,380 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
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Flandern Flotilla 8 August 1917 - 31 March 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner 12 June 1917 – 7 February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Erich Hecht 8 February – 31 March 1918
Operations:	6 patrols
Victories:	13 merchant ships sunk (6,184  GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (1,016  GRT)

SM UB-54 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 12 June 1917 as SM UB-54. ^{[nb 1]}

The submarine conducted 6 patrols and sank 14 ships during the war for a total loss of 7,200  gross register tons  (GRT).

She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-54 was apparently sunk on 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E / 53.250; 0.750 by British destroyers HMS Sturgeon, Thruster, and Retriever using depth charges, all hands were lost. ^[3]

Construction

Main article: Type UB III submarine

UB-54 was ordered 20 May 1916. She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 18 April 1917. UB-54 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner.Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-54 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-54 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-54 had a displacement of 516  t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 1]	Fate [4]
20 August 1917	HMS Vala	Royal Navy	1,016	Sunk
25 August 1917	Frigga	Norway	1,046	Sunk
13 December 1917	Chili	France	1,318	Sunk
20 December 1917	Noris	Norway	583	Sunk
21 December 1917	Orne	France	928	Sunk
23 December 1917	Ragna	Norway	1,747	Sunk
27 January 1918	Nr. 14	Belgium	26	Sunk
29 January 1918	De Julia	Belgium	13	Sunk
29 January 1918	De Twee Marcels	Belgium	13	Sunk
29 January 1918	H. Debra Huysseme	Belgium	46	Sunk
29 January 1918	Jean Mathilde	Belgium	12	Sunk
29 January 1918	Le Jeune Arthur	Belgium	25	Sunk
29 January 1918	Marie	Belgium	16	Sunk
30 January 1918	Ferryhill	United Kingdom	411	Sunk

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.

References

Notes

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

Citations

1. Rössler 1979, p. 55.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.

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.