SM UC-37

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-37.

History
German Empire
Name	UC-37
Ordered	20 November 1915 [1]
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg [2]
Yard number	278 [1]
Launched	5 June 1916 [1]
Commissioned	17 October 1916 [1]
Fate	Surrendered, 25 November 1918; broken up, 1920 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	427  t (420 long tons), surfaced 509 t (501 long tons), submerged
Length	50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a 40.30 m (132 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam	5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught	3.65 m (12 ft)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 600 PS (440 kW; 590 shp) 2 × electric motors, 460 PS (340 kW; 450 shp)
Speed	11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph), submerged
Range	10,180  nmi (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 54 nmi (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	26
Armament	6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes 18 × UC 200 mines 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern) 7 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun
Notes	35-second diving time
Service record
Part of	Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla 12 January 1917 – 18 July 1918 Constantinople Flotilla 18 July – 11 November 1918
Commanders	Oblt.z.S. Otto Launburg [4] 13 October 1916 – 1 July 1917 Oblt.z.S. Willy List [5] 2 July 1917 – 9 January 1918 Oblt.z.S. Otto Kümpel [6] 10 January – 14 November 1918
Operations	13 patrols
Victories	65 merchant ships sunk (85,805  GRT) 1 warship sunk (200 tons) 5 merchant ships damaged (20,829  GRT) 1 warship damaged (7,350 tons)

SM UC-37 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German : Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 5 June 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 October 1916 as SM UC-37. ^{[Note 1]} In 13 patrols UC-37 was credited with sinking 66 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-37 was surrendered at Sevastopol on 25 November 1918 and broken up at Bizerta in August 1921. ^[1]

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-37 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 509 tonnes (501 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft). ^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 54 nautical miles (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,180 nautical miles (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-37 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members. ^[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 2]	Fate [7]
1 January 1917	Britannic	Norway	2,289	Sunk
2 January 1917	Aristotelis C. Ioannou	Greece	2,868	Sunk
2 January 1917	Dimitrios Goulandris	Greece	3,744	Sunk
2 January 1917	Notre Dame Du Verger	France	227	Sunk
3 January 1917	Capricieuse	France	156	Sunk
3 January 1917	Fama	Norway	2,417	Sunk
4 January 1917	Liberte	France	166	Sunk
4 January 1917	Luigi Ciampa	Kingdom of Italy	3,988	Sunk
4 January 1917	Seemel	Russian Empire	209	Sunk
4 January 1917	Wragby	United Kingdom	3,641	Sunk
5 January 1917	Combermere	Kingdom of Italy	1,718	Sunk
26 February 1917	Gerolamo Ulloa	Kingdom of Italy	4,283	Damaged
26 February 1917	Victoria	Greece	1,388	Sunk
3 March 1917	Craigendoran	United Kingdom	2,789	Sunk
5 March 1917	Salvatore	Kingdom of Italy	119	Sunk
27 March 1917	Nr. 62	French Navy	200	Sunk
31 March 1917	Galatee	France	3,062	Damaged
3 April 1917	Ernest Simons	France	5,555	Sunk
3 April 1917	Saint Simon	France	3,419	Sunk
4 April 1917	San Giovanni Battiste	Kingdom of Italy	46	Sunk
14 April 1917	Gange	French Navy	6,886	Sunk
16 April 1917	Sagres	Portugal	2,986	Sunk
21 April 1917	Warrior	United Kingdom	3,674	Sunk
28 April 1917	Niobe	Kingdom of Italy	66	Sunk
29 April 1917	Giuseppe Maria	Kingdom of Italy	99	Sunk
30 April 1917	Colbert	French Navy	5,394	Sunk
2 May 1917	Camerata	United Kingdom	3,723	Damaged
5 May 1917	Dina Di Lozenzo	Kingdom of Italy	127	Sunk
5 May 1917	Harmattan	United Kingdom	4,792	Sunk
15 June 1917	Assunzione	Kingdom of Italy	3,770	Sunk
8 August 1917	Breton	France	3,739	Sunk
11 October 1917	Unidentified Sailing Vessel		14	Sunk
31 October 1917	Evangelistria	Greece	17	Sunk
1 November 1917	Marigo	Kingdom of Italy	24	Sunk
3 November 1917	A.S. 160	Greece	20	Sunk
3 November 1917	Essichia	Greece	30	Sunk
5 November 1917	Caterina	Kingdom of Italy	30	Sunk
23 December 1917	Dunedin	United Kingdom	4,796	Damaged
12 February 1918	Aghios Nicolaos	Greece	20	Sunk
14 February 1918	Ventmoor	United Kingdom	3,456	Sunk
15 February 1918	San Rito	United Kingdom	3,310	Sunk
17 March 1918	Waihemo	United Kingdom	4,283	Sunk
21 March 1918	Termini	Kingdom of Italy	1,523	Sunk
25 March 1918	Warturm	United Kingdom	4,965	Damaged
26 March 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	31	Sunk
26 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel	Greece	15	Sunk
26 March 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	15	Sunk
29 March 1918	Porto Santo	Portugal	2,801	Sunk
8 July 1918	San Nicola	Greece	50	Sunk
14 July 1918	Hagios Zion	Greece	4	Sunk
15 July 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	2	Sunk
15 July 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	14	Sunk
17 July 1918	Unidentified Sailing vessel	Greece	35	Sunk
19 August 1918	Marie Suzanne	United Kingdom	3,106	Sunk
19 August 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	58	Sunk
19 August 1918	NN155a	Greece	30	Sunk
19 August 1918	S919a	Greece	80	Sunk
19 August 1918	SS165	Greece	65	Sunk
19 August 1918	V108a	Greece	60	Sunk
19 August 1918	V135	Greece	20	Sunk
19 August 1918	V62a	Greece	30	Sunk
24 August 1918	AS19	Greece	35	Sunk
24 August 1918	S275	Greece	35	Sunk
24 August 1918	A59a	Greece	35	Sunk
26 August 1918	Evangtelistria	Greece	20	Sunk
27 August 1918	Unidentified Sailing Vessel	Greece	31	Sunk
27 August 1918	C57a	Greece	14	Sunk
28 August 1918	V214a	Greece	12	Sunk
28 August 1918	S804qu	Greece	53	Sunk
29 August 1918	A56a	Greece	31	Sunk
29 August 1918	121B	Greece	124	Sunk
30 August 1918	HMS Endymion	Royal Navy	7,350	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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 37". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
2. Tarrant, p. 173.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Launburg (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Willy List". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Kümpel". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 37". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2015.

Bibliography

• Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN   3-8132-0758-7.
• 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.
• Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC   12119866.
• Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC   20338385.