SM UC-62

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-62.

History
German Empire
Name	UC-62
Ordered	12 January 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen [2]
Yard number	260 [1]
Laid down	3 April 1916 [1]
Launched	9 December 1916 [1]
Commissioned	8 January 1917 [1]
Fate	Sunk by mine, 14 October 1917 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	422  t (415 long tons), surfaced 504 t (496 long tons), submerged
Length	51.85 m (170 ft 1 in) o/a 40.40 m (132 ft 7 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, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp)
Speed	11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph), surfaced 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged
Range	8,000  nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 59 nmi (109 km; 68 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 26 March – 14 October 1917
Commanders	Oblt.z.S. Max Schmitz [4] 8 January – 14 October 1917
Operations	9 patrols
Victories	10 merchant ships sunk (16,488  GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (247  GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (2,935  GRT) 1 auxiliary warship damaged (122  GRT)

SM UC-62 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 12 January 1916, laid down on 3 April 1916, and was launched on 9 December 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 8 January 1917 as SM UC-62. ^{[Note 1]} In nine patrols UC-62 was credited with sinking 11 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 19 March 1917, the submerged Royal Navy submarine HMS E50 suffered damage in a collision UC-62 in the North Sea off the North Hinder Light Vessel. UC-62 struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Zeebrugge, Belgium, on 14 October 1917. ^[1]

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-62 had a displacement of 422 tonnes (415 long tons) when at the surface and 504 tonnes (496 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 3.67 m (12 ft 0 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 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 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 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 59 nautical miles (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-62 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]
5 April 1917	HMS Result	Royal Navy	122	Damaged
2 May 1917	Noordzee	Netherlands	136	Sunk
4 May 1917	Neptunus	Netherlands	160	Sunk
24 May 1917	Chicago City	United Kingdom	2,324	Damaged
30 May 1917	Lisbon	United Kingdom	1,203	Sunk
24 June 1917	HMT Taipo	Royal Navy	247	Sunk
26 June 1917	A. B. Sherman	United States	611	Damaged
28 June 1917	Neotsfield	United Kingdom	1,875	Sunk
28 June 1917	Don Arturo	United Kingdom	3,680	Sunk
25 July 1917	Vaarbud	Norway	362	Sunk
27 July 1917	Carmela	United States	1,379	Sunk
28 July 1917	Glenstrae	United Kingdom	4,718	Sunk
26 August 1917	Chacma	Norway	608	Sunk
15 October 1917	Hartburn	United Kingdom	2,367	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 62". 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: Max Schmitz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 62". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 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.