Type U 19 submarine

Class overview
Builders	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Operators	Imperial German Navy
Preceded by	Type U 17
Succeeded by	Type U 23
Completed	4
Lost	1
General characteristics [1] [2]
Displacement	650  t (640 long tons) surfaced 837 t (824 long tons) submerged
Length	64.15 m (210 ft 6 in)
Beam	6.10 m (20 ft 0 in)
Height	7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × MAN 8-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,700 PS (1,677 bhp; 1,250 kW) 2 × AEG double modyn with 1,200 PS (1,184 shp; 883 kW) 320 rpm submerged
Speed	15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph) surfaced 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) submerged
Range	9,700 nmi (18,000 km; 11,200 mi) at 8 kn surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 kn submerged
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement	4 officers, 31 men
Armament	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) with 6 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 gun (from 1916 2 ×) or 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 gun (from 1917)

Type U19 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine. Type U 19 U-boats were the first U-boats with Diesel engines for surface propulsion and charging the batteries for the electrical engines. Originally the preceding Type U 17 submarine was intended to be the first diesel U-boat, but delays in developing these diesel engines meant that these two Type U 17 U-boats received Kerosene engines instead. Other improvements included the change from 45-cm to 50-cm torpedo tubes for launching the G6 torpedo, and the installation of a deck gun. ^[3]

The four Type 19 U-boats were ordered on 25 November 1910 from the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig shipyard. ^[3]

Design

Type U 19s had an overall length of 64.15 m (210 ft 6 in) The boats' beam was 6.10 m (20 ft 0 in), the draught was 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in), with a total height of 7.30 m (23 ft 11 in). The boats displaced 650 tonnes (640 long tons) when surfaced and 837 t (824 long tons) when submerged. ^{[1] [4]}

Type U 19s were fitted with two MAN 8-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total of 1,700 metric horsepower (1,250  kW ; 1,677  bhp ) for use on the surface and two AEG double-acting electric motors with a total of 880 kW (1,196 PS; 1,180 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, which gave the boats a top surface speed of 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph), and 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 km; 11,200 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface and 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged. ^[1] Diving depth was 50 m (164 ft 1 in). ^[4]

The U-boats were armed with four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried six torpedoes. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted. ^{[1] [4]}

Ships

Name	launched	commissioned [5]	merchant ships sunk (nbr / GRT ) [5]	warships sunk ( nbr / tons ) [5]	Fate [1]
U-19	10 Oktober 1912	6 July 1913	55 / 101.389	none	Surrendered on 24 November 1918. Scrapped in 1919-20 at Blyth
U-20	18 December 1912	5 Augustus 1913	36 / 104.300	none	Stranded on 5 November 1916 at Jutland. Broken up in 1925.
U-21	8 February 1913	22 September 1913	36 / 78.712	4 / 34.440	Sunk 22 February 1919 whilst on her way to internment
U-22	6 March 1913	25 November 1913	44 / 46.365	none	Surrendered on 1 December 1918. Scrapped in 1919-20 at Blyth

Citations

1. Möller & Brack 2004, p. 23.
2. Rössler 1981, p. 327.
3. Rössler 1981, p. 28.
4. Gröner 1991, pp. 4–5.
5. Herzog 1993, p. 67.

Bibliography

• Gröner, Erich (1991). Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (eds.). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-593-4.
• Herzog, Bodo (1993). Deutsche U-Boote : 1906 - 1966[German U-boats : 1906 - 1966] (in German). Erlangen: Müller. ISBN   9783860700365.
• Möller, Eberhard; Brack, Werner (2004). The Encyclopedia of U-Boats. London: Chatham. ISBN   1-85367-623-3.
• Rössler, Eberhard (1981). The U-boat: The evolution and technical history of German submarines. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN   0-304-36120-8.