Class overview | |
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Builders | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Operators | ![]() |
Preceded by | Type U 3 |
Succeeded by | Type U 9 |
Completed | 4 |
Lost | 4 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Draught | 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 24 men |
Armament |
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Type U 5 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.
Type U 5s had an overall length of 57.30 m (188 ft 0 in) The boats' beam was 5.60 m (18 ft 4 in), the draught was 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in). The boats displaced 505 tonnes (497 long tons) when surfaced and 636 t (626 long tons) when submerged. [1] [2]
Type U 5s were fitted with two Körting 6-cylinder and two 8-cylinder two-stroke paraffin engines with a total of 900 metric horsepower (662 kW ; 888 bhp ) for use on the surface and two SSW double-acting electric motors with a total of 760 kW (1,033 PS; 1,019 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, which gave the boats a top surface speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph), and 10.2 knots (18.9 km/h; 11.7 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) on the surface and 55 nmi (102 km ; 63 mi ) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged. [1] [2] Constructional diving depth [a] was 50 m (164 ft 1 in). [3] [2]
The U-boats were armed with four 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried six torpedoes. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 24 enlisted men. [4] [2]
Type U 5 U-boats were the first U-boats to be equipped with a radiotelegraphy station. This station had a range of 30 nmi (56 km ; 35 mi ) between U-boats and double that distanc towards shore stations. Two aerial masts were installed on the deck, which could be lowered from inside the boat. A crude Underwater telegraph consisting of a bell with a clapper activated by compressed air, was also introduced with the Type U 5s, but this system was not satisfactory. [5]
Name | launched [6] | commissioned [6] | ships sunk (nbr / GRT) [6] | Fate [1] |
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U-5 | 8 January 1910 | 2 July 1910 | none | Sunk on 18 December 1914 in the English Channel. |
U-6 | 18 May 1910 | 12 August 1910 | 13 / 4.654 | Sunk on 15 September 1915 near Norway. |
U-7 | 28 July 1910 | 18 July 1911 | none | Sunk on 21 February 1915 near Netherlands. |
U-8 | 14 March 1911 | 18 June 1911 | 5 / 15.049 | Sunk on 4 March 1915 in the English Channel. |