SM UC-46

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-46.

History
German Empire
Name	UC-46
Ordered	20 November 1915 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen [2]
Yard number	256 [1]
Laid down	1 February 1916 [1]
Launched	8 August 1916 [1]
Commissioned	15 September 1916 [1]
Fate	Sunk, 8 February 1917 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	420  t (410 long tons), surfaced 502 t (494 long tons), submerged
Length	51.85 m (170 ft 1 in) o/a 39.70 m (130 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam	5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught	3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
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	11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph), surfaced 6.74 knots (12.48 km/h; 7.76 mph), submerged
Range	7,280  nmi (13,480 km; 8,380 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	30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	Flandern Flotilla 29 November 1916 – 8 February 1917
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Moecke [4] 15 September 1916 – 8 February 1917
Operations:	4 patrols
Victories:	9 merchant ships sunk (10,346  GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (275  GRT) 3 merchant ships damaged (18,836  GRT)

SM UC-46 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, laid down on 1 February 1916, and was launched on 8 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 September 1916 as SM UC-46. ^{[Note 1]} In four patrols UC-46 was credited with sinking 10 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-46 was rammed and sunk southeast of Goodwin Sands by the British destroyer HMS Liberty on 8 February 1917. ^[1]

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-46 had a displacement of 420 tonnes (410 long tons) when at the surface and 502 tonnes (494 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 51.85 m (170 ft 1 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 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 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 to 7.4 knots (12.4 to 13.7 km/h; 7.7 to 8.5 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 7,280 nautical miles (13,480 km; 8,380 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-46 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 [5]
21 December 1916	Modig	Norway	1,704	Sunk
23 December 1916	William Middleton	United Kingdom	2,543	Damaged
24 December 1916	Paul Paix	United Kingdom	4,196	Damaged
26 December 1916	Agnes	United Kingdom	99	Sunk
26 December 1916	Neptune	Belgium	199	Sunk
26 December 1916	Saint Louis	France	184	Sunk
30 December 1916	Sappho	Greece	2,087	Sunk
1 January 1917	Goosebridge	Sweden	1,886	Sunk
1 February 1917	Gamma	Netherlands	2,115	Sunk
2 February 1917	Isle of Arran	United Kingdom	1,918	Sunk
4 February 1917	Marthe	France	154	Sunk
5 February 1917	Argyllshire	United Kingdom	12,097	Damaged
6 February 1917	HMT Longset	Royal Navy	275	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 46". 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: Friedrich Moecke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 46". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 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.