SM UB-59

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

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-59.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-59
Ordered	20 May 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost	3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	271
Laid down	13 September 1916 [2]
Launched	21 July 1917 [3]
Commissioned	25 August 1917 [3]
Fate	Scuttled 5 October 1918 off Zeebrugge at 51°19′N03°12′E / 51.317°N 3.200°E / 51.317; 3.200 [3]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type	Type UB III 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 [3]
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 I Flotilla 5 November 1917 – 2 October 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Peter Ernst Eiffe [4] 10 August 1917 – February 1918 Kptlt. Erwin Waßner [5] 25 August 1917 – 5 May 1918
Operations:	5 patrols
Victories:	7 merchant ships sunk (8,361  GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (12,413  GRT)

SM UB-59 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 25 August 1917 as SM UB-59. ^{[Note 1]}

She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-59 scuttled 5 October 1918 off Zeebrugge at 51°19′N03°12′E / 51.317°N 3.200°E / 51.317; 3.200 during the evacuation of Belgium by German forces. ^[3]

Construction

Main article: Type UB III submarine

She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 21 July 1917. UB-59 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-59 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-59 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-59 had a displacement of 516  t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long 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 2]	Fate [6]
28 November 1917	Jeanne Conseil	France	2,309	Sunk
29 November 1917	Texas	France	6,674	Damaged
5 December 1917	City of Naples	United Kingdom	5,739	Damaged
2 February 1918	Avanti	United Kingdom	2,128	Sunk
3 February 1918	Holmtown	United Kingdom	598	Sunk
13 March 1918	Tweed	United Kingdom	1,025	Sunk
14 March 1918	Venezuela	France	730	Sunk
16 March 1918	South Western	United Kingdom	674	Sunk
20 March 1918	Azemmour	France	897	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. Rössler 1979, p. 55.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 59". 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. "WWI U-boat commanders: Peter Ernst Eiffe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erwin Waßner (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 59". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 February 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.