SM UC-7

Last updated
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameUC-7
OrderedNovember 1914 [1]
Builder AG Vulcan, Hamburg [2]
Yard number51 [1]
Launched6 July 1915 [1]
Commissioned9 July 1915 [1]
FateMissing since 5 July 1916 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type German Type UC I submarine
Displacement
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft3.04 m (10 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph), surfaced
  • 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph), submerged
Range
  • 780  nmi (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement14
Armament
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 12 August 1915 – 5 July 1916
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Franz Wäger [4]
  • 9 July – 29 November 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Haag [5]
  • 30 November 1915 – 5 July 1916
Operations: 34 patrols
Victories:
  • 19 merchant ships sunk
    (40,901  GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (3,520 tons)
  • 12 auxiliary warships sunk
    (4,833  GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (6,151  GRT)

SM UC-7 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German : Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 6 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 9 July 1915 as SM UC-7. [Note 1] Mines laid by UC-7 in her 34 patrols were credited with sinking 32 ships.

Contents

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-7 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft). [3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-7 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members. [3]

Fate

UC-7 sailed from Zeebrugge on 3 July 1916 to lay mines off the English coast and failed to return. UB-12 sighted a submarine believed to be UC-7 on 5 July, west of the Bligh Bank, 46 km (29 mi) from Ostend. The submarine in question was reported to be on a course that would run it into a minefield, and Verschollen notes that the time and place would be correct if UC-7 were returning to base. The bodies of two crew members were later washed ashore on the coast of Flanders on 19 July. She was claimed that UC-7 was sunk by HMS Salmon on 7 July off Southwold, but this was doubted since the reported position was too far off UC-7's operating area. [6]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [7]
1 September 1915 HMT Malta Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 138Sunk
1 September 1915 HMT Nadine Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 150Sunk
1 September 1915 Savona Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,180Sunk
3 September 1915 Churston Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,470Sunk
22 September 1915 Koningin Emma Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 9,181Sunk
26 September 1915 Vigilant Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 69Sunk
5 October 1915 Novocastrian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,151Sunk
6 October 1915 Texelstroom Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1,601Sunk
28 November 1915 HMT William Morrison Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 212Sunk
8 December 1915 Ignis Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,042Sunk
10 December 1915 Ingstad Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 780Sunk
21 December 1915 Knarsdale Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,641Sunk
31 December 1915 HMT Speeton Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 205Sunk
6 February 1916 Balgownie Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,061Sunk
8 February 1916 Elswick Manor Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,943Damaged
11 February 1916 HMS Arethusa Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 3,520Sunk
26 February 1916 Dido Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,769Sunk
27 February 1916 Mecklenburg Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 2,885Sunk
9 March 1916 HMS Fauvette Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 2,644Sunk
18 March 1916 HMT Ameer Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 216Sunk
18 March 1916 Lowlands Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,789Sunk
19 March 1916 HMT Valpa Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 230Sunk
24 March 1916 Fulmar Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,270Sunk
25 March 1916 HMD Hilary II Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 78Sunk
26 March 1916 Cerne Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,579Sunk
2 April 1916 Bourbaki Flag of France.svg  France 2,208Damaged
2 April 1916 HMT Commandant Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 207Sunk
9 April 1916 Avon Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,574Sunk
14 April 1916 HMT Alberta Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 209Sunk
14 April 1916 HMT Orcades Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 270Sunk
15 April 1916 Tusnastabb Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 859Sunk
23 April 1916 HMT Lena Melling Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 274Sunk
10 May 1916 Dolcoath Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,706Sunk
18 June 1916 Seaconnet Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States 2,294Sunk

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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. 1 2 3 4 5 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 7". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 3 Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Wäger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Haag". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 244. ISBN   978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC   231973419.
  7. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 7". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 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.
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