SM UB-87

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-87.

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-87.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-87
Ordered	23 September 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost	3,341,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	287
Laid down	23 February 1917 [2]
Launched	10 November 1917 [3]
Commissioned	27 December 1917 [3]
Fate	Surrendered 20 November 1918, broken up at Brest [3]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement	516  t (508 long tons) surfaced 647 t (637 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 × Benz four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,050  bhp (780 kW) 2 × BBC electric motors, 780  shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range	8,180  nmi (15,150 km; 9,410 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced 50 nmi (93 km; 58 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:	V Flotilla 14 March – 29 April 1918 III Flotilla 29 April – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Karl Petri [4] 27 December 1917 – 30 September 1918 Oblt.z.S. Bernhard Hibsch [5] 1 October – 11 November 1918
Operations:	5 patrols
Victories:	3 merchant ships sunk (18,671  GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (12,045  GRT)

SM UB-87 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 27 December 1917 as SM UB-87. ^{[Note 1]}

UB-87 was surrendered to France on 20 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. She was broken up in Brest in 1921. ^[3]

Construction

Main article: German Type UB III submarine

She was built by AG Weser of Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 10 November 1917. UB-87 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-87 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-87 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,180 nautical miles (15,150 km; 9,410 mi). UB-87 had a displacement of 516  t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 647 t (637 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 2]	Fate [6]
3 September 1918	Highcliffe	United Kingdom	3,238	Sunk
6 September 1918	Milly	United Kingdom	2,964	Sunk
7 September 1918	Persic	United Kingdom	12,045	Damaged
9 September 1918	Missanabie	United Kingdom	12,469	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 87". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karl Petri". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Bernhard Hibsch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 87". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 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   978-3-8132-0713-2.
• 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   978-0-85177-593-7.
• 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.