SM UC-63

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History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameUC-63
Ordered12 January 1916 [1]
Builder AG Weser, Bremen [2]
Yard number261 [1]
Laid down3 April 1916 [1]
Launched6 January 1917 [1]
Commissioned30 January 1917 [1]
FateTorpedoed and sunk by HMS E52 on 1 November 1917 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type German Type UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 422 t (415 long tons), surfaced
  • 504 t (496 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
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 depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 27 April – 1 November 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Karsten von Heydebreck [4]
  • 30 January – 1 November 1917
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 33 merchant ships sunk
    (35,526  GRT)
  • 3 auxiliary warships sunk
    (374  GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged
    (4,639  GRT)

SM UC-63 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 6 January 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 30 January 1917 as SM UC-63. [Note 1] In nine patrols UC-63 was credited with sinking 36 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-63 was torpedoed and sunk by HMS E52 off Goodwin Sands on 1 November 1917; only one crewman survived the sinking. [1]

Contents

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-63 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 51.85 m (170 ft 1 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 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 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-63 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]

Service career

UC-63 entered service on 30 January 1917, under the command of Oblt Karsten von Heydebreck. She was assigned to the Flanders U-boat Flotilla, based at Bruges in occupied Belgium.

UC-63 carried out nine war patrols, operating mainly in the North Sea against British fishing trawlers. She had considerable success, sinking seven and damaging two more in a single day in June 1917. In August 1917 she fought an action against two armed trawlers, HMS Nelson and HMS Boy Alfred. Both of these were sunk, and the crew of Ethel & Millie were picked up by the U-boat, after which they were not seen again. The suspicion then, and subsequently, is that they were disposed of by the U-boat commander, perhaps by being left to drown while the U-boat submerged. [5] The German government had made it clear they regarded the crews of merchant ships who fought back against U-boat attacks as francs-tireurs , and thus liable to execution. [6]

Before her loss in November 1917, UC-63 sank 36 ships, totalling 35,900 GRT, and damaged four more, in a nine month career. [1]

Fate

On 1 November 1917, while operating off the Goodwin Sands, UC-63 was sighted by British submarine HMS E52 . She was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of all but one of her 27 crew.

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [7]
26 April 1917 Amsteldjik Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 186Sunk
10 May 1917 Gruno Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 171Sunk
27 June 1917 Longbenton Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 924Sunk
28 June 1917 Frigate Bird Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20Sunk
28 June 1917 Elsie Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20Sunk
28 June 1917 Frances Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20Sunk
28 June 1917 Glenelg Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 32Sunk
28 June 1917 Harbinger Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 39Sunk
28 June 1917 Rose of June Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20Sunk
28 June 1917 William And Betsy Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 21Sunk
28 June 1917 Frank Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 21Damaged
28 June 1917 Diligence Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 20Damaged
30 June 1917 Markersdal Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,640Sunk
1 July 1917 Advance Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 44Sunk
1 July 1917 Gleam Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 54Sunk
1 July 1917 Radiance Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 57Sunk
31 July 1917 Empress Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,914Sunk
2 August 1917 Young Bert Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 59Sunk
6 August 1917 Alfred Flag of France.svg  France 107Sunk
6 August 1917 Fane Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,119Sunk
6 August 1917 Zamora Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,639Damaged
7 August 1917 Onesta Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Kingdom of Italy 2,674Sunk
8 August 1917 Marie Jesus Protegez Nous Flag of France.svg  France 46Sunk
14 August 1917 Thames Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 403Sunk
14 August 1917 Costanza Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Kingdom of Italy 2,545Sunk
14 August 1917 Luna Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 959Damaged
15 August 1917 HMS Ethel And Millie (as HMS Boy Alfred)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 58Sunk
15 August 1917 HMS G & E (as HMS Nelson)Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 61Sunk
15 August 1917 Alice Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 25Sunk
22 September 1917 Italia Flag of France.svg  France 627Sunk
24 September 1917 Perseverance Flag of France.svg  France 2,873Sunk
24 September 1917 Europe Flag of France.svg  France 2,839Sunk
25 September 1917 Dinorah Flag of France.svg  France 4,208Sunk
25 September 1917 HMT James Seckar Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 255Sunk
24 October 1917 Ulfsborg Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 2,040Sunk
28 October 1917 Baron Garioch Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,831Sunk
29 October 1917 Marne Flag of France.svg  France 979Sunk
4 November 1917 Lyra Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,141Sunk
25 November 1917 Oriflamme Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,764Sunk
4 December 1917 Brigitta Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,084Sunk

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ "SM" stands for Seiner Majestäts (English: His Majesty's) and combined with "U" for Unterseeboot translates as "His Majesty's Submarine".
  2. ↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 173
  3. 1 2 3 Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karsten von Heydebreck". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Ritchie p125
  6. ↑ Ritchie p159
  7. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

Bibliography

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