SM UB-78

Last updated
UB 148 at sea 2.jpeg
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-78.
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameUB-78
Ordered23 September 1916 [1]
Builder Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,338,000 German Papiermark
Yard number307
Launched2 June 1917 [2]
Commissioned20 October 1917 [2]
FateSunk on 19 April 1918 [3]
General characteristics
Class & type Type UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 516  t (508 long tons) surfaced
  • 648 t (638 long tons) submerged
Length55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced
  • 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,680 nmi (16,080 km; 9,990 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement3 officers, 31 men [2]
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Woldemar Petri [4]
  • 20 October 1917 – 15 February 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker [5]
  • 16 February – 17 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Arthur Stoßberg [6]
  • 18 March – 19 April 1918
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (1,155  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (86  GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (7,040  GRT)

SM UB-78 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 20 October 1917 as SM UB-78. [Note 1] The submarine struck a naval mine off Dover and sank at position 51°01′N01°17′E / 51.017°N 1.283°E / 51.017; 1.283 on 19 April 1918 all 35 crew lost. [3]

Contents

Construction

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 2 June 1917. UB-78 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Woldemar Petri. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-78 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-78 would carry a crew of up to 3 officers and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,680 nautical miles (16,080 km; 9,990 mi). UB-78 had a displacement of 516  t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 648 t (638 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged. [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [7]
21 March 1918StrathearnCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 152Damaged
22 March 1918 Polleon Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 1,155Sunk
25 March 1918 HMD Border Lads Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 86Sunk
26 March 1918British StarCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 6,888Damaged

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

Citations

  1. ↑ Rössler 1979, p. 65.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
  3. 1 2 Helgason 2018
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Woldemar Petri". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Arthur Stoßberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 78". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.

Bibliography

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