Type U 27 submarine

Last updated
Class overview
Builders Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
OperatorsWar Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg  Imperial German Navy
Preceded by Type U 23
Succeeded by Type U 31
Completed4
Lost3
General characteristics [1]
Displacement
  • 675  t (664 long tons) surfaced
  • 876 t (862 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.48 m (11 ft 5 in)
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,420  nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft)
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament

Type U 27 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine. The four Type U 27 U-boats were ordered on 12 February 1912. They were very similar to the preceding Type U 19 and Type U 23. [2]

Contents

Design

Type U 27s had an overall length of 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) The boats' beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in), the draught was 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in), with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in – 26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced 685 tonnes (674 long tons) when surfaced and 867 t (853 long tons) when submerged. [3] [4]

Type U 27s were fitted with two MAN 6-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines with a total of 2,000 metric horsepower (1,471  kW ; 1,973  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 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph), and 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface and 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged. [3] 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. All boats received initially one or two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns. U-30 had its sole deck gun replaced in 1916 with a 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 gun. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted. [3] [4]

Ships

namelaunched [5] commissioned [5] merchant ships sunk
(nbr / GRT ) [5]
warships sunk
( nbr / tons ) [5]
fate [3]
U-27 14 July 19138 May 19149 / 29.4022 / 6.290Sunk on 15 August 1915 in the English Channel.
U-28 30 August 191326 July 191439 / 93.782noneSunk on 2 September 1917 in the Arctic Ocean.
U-29 11 Oktober 19131 Augustus 19144 / 12.934noneSunk on 18 March in the North Sea.
U-30 15 November 191326 August 191426 / 47.383noneSunk on 22 June 1915 in an accident on the Ems river.
Raised in 1918, surrendered and scrapped in 1919-20 at Blyth.

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