SM UB-63

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-63.

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-63.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-63
Ordered	20 May 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost	3,279,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	88
Launched	26 May 1917 [2]
Commissioned	23 July 1917 [2]
Fate	Sunk 28 January 1918 [2]
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	508  t (500 long tons) surfaced 639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length	55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085  bhp (809 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780  shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range	8,420  nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 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 [2]
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:	II Flotilla 4 – 30 September 1917 V Flotilla 30 September 1917 – 28 January 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Rudolf Gebeschus [3] 23 July 1917 – 28 January 1918
Operations:	3 patrols
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (4,481  GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (1,113  GRT) 1 merchant ship taken as prize (3,290  GRT)

SM UB-63 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 23 July 1917 as SM UB-63. ^{[Note 1]}

UB-63 was sunk on 28 January 1918 by British warships HMS W.S. Bailey and HMS Fort George at 56°10′N2°0′E / 56.167°N 2.000°E / 56.167; 2.000 with depth charges. All 33 crew members perished in the attack. ^[2]

Construction

Main article: Type UB III submarine

UB-63 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916.

She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 26 May 1917. UB-63 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-63 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-63 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-63 had a displacement of 508  t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 2]	Fate [4]
15 September 1917	Santaren	United Kingdom	4,256	Sunk
3 November 1917	Haelen	Belgium	3,290	Captured as prize
8 November 1917	Lindhardt	Denmark	225	Sunk
15 November 1917	Stargard	Norway	1,113	Damaged

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. 60.
2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Rudolf Gebeschus". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 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.