SM UC-79

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-79.

History
German Empire
Name	UC-79
Ordered	12 January 1916 [1]
Builder	AG Vulcan, Hamburg [2]
Yard number	84 [1]
Launched	19 December 1916 [1]
Commissioned	22 January 1917 [1]
Fate	Sunk by mine off Cap Gris Nez, March – April 1918 [1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	410  t (400 long tons), surfaced 493 t (485 long tons), submerged
Length	50.45 m (165 ft 6 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	3.65 m (12 ft)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 580–600 PS (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp) 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp)
Speed	11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph), surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph), submerged
Range	8,660–10,230  nmi (16,040–18,950 km; 9,970–11,770 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 52 nmi (96 km; 60 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:	Baltic Flotilla 1 April – 7 August 1917 Flandern / Flandern I Flotilla 7 August 1917 – 5 April 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Erich Haecker [4] 22 January – 23 September 1917 Oblt.z.S. Werner Löwe [5] 24 September 1917 – 6 February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Alfred Krameyer [6] 7 February – 5 April 1918
Operations:	11 patrols
Victories:	6 merchant ships sunk (11,163  GRT) 4 auxiliary warships sunk (1,078  GRT) 14 merchant ships taken as prize (10,961  GRT)

SM UC-79 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German : Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I.

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-79 had a displacement of 410 tonnes (400 long tons) when at the surface and 493 tonnes (485 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.45 m (165 ft 6 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 290–300 metric horsepower (210–220 kW; 290–300 shp) (a total of 580–600 metric horsepower (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 30 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft). ^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,660 to 10,230 nautical miles (16,040 to 18,950 km; 9,970 to 11,770 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-79 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]

History

UC-79 was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 19 December 1916. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 22 January 1917 as SM UC-79. ^{[Note 1]} In eleven patrols UC-79 was credited with sinking 10 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. ^[1] On 28 April 1917, she captured the Danish coaster Laura in the Skagerrak. ^[7] UC-79 was sunk by a mine off Cap Gris Nez, France in late March or early April 1918. Royal Navy divers located the wreck in that area in August 1918. ^[1]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage [Note 2]	Fate [8]
23 April 1917	Ydun	Denmark	645	Captured as prize
24 April 1917	Harald Haarfager	Norway	475	Captured as prize
28 April 1917	Laura	Denmark	787	Captured as prize
28 April 1917	Storebelt	Denmark	599	Captured as prize
15 May 1917	Ellen	Denmark	786	Captured as prize
16 May 1917	Thorunn	Norway	990	Captured as prize
17 May 1917	Alexander Shukoff	Denmark	1,652	Captured as prize
18 May 1917	Magnus	Denmark	1,297	Captured as prize
20 May 1917	Otto	Denmark	152	Captured as prize
20 May 1917	Pomona	Netherlands	789	Captured as prize
6 July 1917	Rhone	Denmark	1,050	Captured as prize
8 July 1917	Eos	Denmark	838	Captured as prize
8 July 1917	Nyhamn	Sweden	302	Captured as prize
8 July 1917	Storebelt	Denmark	599	Captured as prize
13 August 1917	Emilie Galline	France	1,944	Sunk
15 October 1917	Garthclyde	United Kingdom	2,124	Sunk
17 October 1917	HMT Ruby	Royal Navy	251	Sunk
19 October 1917	Renard	French Navy	285	Sunk
19 October 1917	Cupica	Newfoundland	1,240	Sunk
21 October 1917	Tom Roper	United Kingdom	120	Sunk
19 November 1917	Jutland	United Kingdom	2,824	Sunk
24 November 1917	Pomone	France	2,911	Sunk
31 January 1918	Elephant	French Navy	286	Sunk
2 February 1918	HMT Remindo	Royal Navy	256	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 79". 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: Erich Haecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Löwe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alfred Krameyer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Laura". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 79". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 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.