SM UC-41

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-41.

History
German Empire
Name	UC-41
Ordered	20 November 1915 [1]
Builder	AG Vulcan, Hamburg [2]
Yard number	74 [1]
Launched	13 September 1916 [1]
Commissioned	11 October 1916 [1]
Fate	Sunk, 21 August 1917 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	400  t (390 long tons), surfaced 480 t (470 long tons), submerged
Length	49.45 m (162 ft 3 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	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 520 PS (380 kW; 510 shp) 2 × electric motors, 460 PS (340 kW; 450 shp)
Speed	11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph), surfaced 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph), submerged
Range	9,410  nmi (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 60 nmi (110 km; 69 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	48-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	I Flotilla 18 December 1916 – 21 August 1917
Commanders:	Kptlt. Kurt Bernis [4] 11 October 1916 – 4 August 1917 Oblt.z.S. Hans Förste [5] 5 – 21 August 1917
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	15 merchant ships sunk (18,870  GRT) 2 auxiliary warships sunk (375  GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (1,232  GRT)

SM UC-41 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 13 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 11 October 1916 as SM UC-41. ^{[Note 1]}

In a nine-month career that encompassed seven patrols UC-41 was credited with sinking 17 ships totaling 19,245 GRT, either by torpedo or by mines laid. The writer David Masters attributed the sinking of the two tiny naval fishing smacks Nelson and Ethel & Millie to UC-41 during an engagement on 15 August 1917. However this was actually UC-63, the logs of which record the event.

UC-41 was lost on 21 August 1917 after suffering an unexplained internal explosion of one of her mines which forced her to suddenly rise to the surface in the Tay estuary, where she was spotted by British naval trawlers and depth charged, killing all 27 German sailors and possibly seven British prisoners of war as well. Her wreck was rediscovered in 2003.

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-41 had a displacement of 400 tonnes (390 long tons) when at the surface and 480 tonnes (470 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45 m (162 ft 3 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 260 metric horsepower (190 kW; 260 shp) (a total of 520 metric horsepower (380 kW; 510 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft). ^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,410 nautical miles (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-41 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 [6]
1 March 1917	Tillycorthie	United Kingdom	382	Sunk
1 March 1917	Orion	Norway	1,354	Sunk
3 March 1917	Elfi	Norway	1,120	Damaged
3 March 1917	Ring	Norway	998	Sunk
13 April 1917	Breadalbane	United Kingdom	112	Damaged
13 April 1917	Stork	United Kingdom	152	Sunk
16 April 1917	Lord Chancellor	United Kingdom	135	Sunk
17 April 1917	U.s.a.	United Kingdom	182	Sunk
18 April 1917	John S. Boyle	United Kingdom	143	Sunk
18 April 1917	Rameses	United Kingdom	155	Sunk
20 April 1917	Ballochbuie	United Kingdom	921	Sunk
20 April 1917	HMT Othonna	Royal Navy	180	Sunk
20 April 1917	Ringholm	Norway	705	Sunk
22 April 1917	Godø	Norway	870	Sunk
23 April 1917	Stegg	Norway	463	Sunk
11 June 1917	Breid	Norway	1,062	Sunk
16 July 1917	Valentia	United Kingdom	3,242	Sunk
25 July 1917	Oakleaf	United Kingdom	8,106	Sunk
22 August 1917	HMT Sophron	Royal Navy	195	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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 41". 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: Kurt Bernis". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Förste". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 41". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 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.

56°25′N2°35′E / 56.417°N 2.583°E / 56.417; 2.583