| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Preceded by | Type UE I |
| Succeeded by | Type U 87 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Lost | 4 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 8.00 m (26 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 4.02 m (13 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 × 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) propellers |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 31 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
Type 81 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.
Type 81 U-boats carried 12 torpedoes and had various arrangements of deck guns. U 81 to U 83 had one 10.5-centimetre (4.1 in) deck gun with 140-240 rounds. U 84 - U 86 were constructed with two 8.8-centimetre (3.5 in) deck guns. In 1917, U 84 - U 86 were converted to a carry one 10.5 cm and one 8.8 cm deck gun [2] and carried 240 rounds.
They carried a crew of four officers and 31 men and had excellent seagoing abilities with a cruising range of around 11,220 nautical miles (20,780 km; 12,910 mi). [2] Many arrangements from the Type 81 and the next two types were also seen on the World War II Type IX U-boats when their design work took place 20 years later.[ citation needed ]
Compared to the previous type 63, the 81s were 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) longer, while the pressure hull remained the same. [3] They were .3 knots (0.56 km/h; 0.35 mph) faster on the surface, and .1 knots (0.19 km/h; 0.12 mph) faster submerged and increased range by 1,030 nautical miles (1,910 km; 1,190 mi) to 11,200 nmi at 8 knots. They carried 12 torpedoes instead of 6, and by 1917 all type 87s had the larger 10.5 cm deck gun versus the twin 8.8 cm on the 63s. Crew size was decreased by 1 to 35.[ citation needed ]
Compared to the following type 87, the 81s were 4.26 metres (14.0 ft) longer, yet 5 tons lighter. [3] Their range was 180 miles shorter, but speed was 1.2 knots (2.2 km/h; 1.4 mph) faster on the surface and .5 knots (0.93 km/h; 0.58 mph) faster submerged. The most significant difference was the addition of 4 more torpedoes and 2 additional bow tubes on the type 87. Type 87 also got the additional crew member back and numbered 36 again.[ citation needed ]
Type 81 boats were responsible for sinking 3.537% of all allied shipping sunk during the war, taking a total of 427,247 combined tons. They also damaged 89,522 combined tons, and captured 3,462 combined tons.[ citation needed ]
| Boat | Sunk | Damaged | Captured | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-81 | 88,483 | 3,481 | 0 | 91,964 |
| U-82 | 108,310 | 32,914 | 0 | 141,224 |
| U-83 | 6,450 | 3,207 | 0 | 9,657 |
| U-84 | 86,196 | 42,149 | 3,462 | 131,807 |
| U-85 | 20,225 | 7,608 | 0 | 27,883 |
| U-86 | 117,583 | 163 | 0 | 117,746 |
| Totals | 427,247 | 89,522 | 3,462 | 520,281 |
SM UB-81 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 September 1917 as SM UB-81.
SM UB-23 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 9 October 1915. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 13 March 1916 as SM UB-23. The submarine sank 51 ships in 21 patrols for a total of 33,880 gross register tons (GRT). On 26 July 1917, UB-23 was badly damaged by a depth charge attack by HMS PC-60 off the Lizard; she put in at Corunna, Spain, on 29 July 1917 and was interned. On 22 January 1919 she was surrendered to France in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany, and she was broken up in Cherbourg in July 1921.
SM UC-17 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was ordered on 29 August 1915 and launched on 29 February 1916. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 21 July 1916 as SM UC-17.
SM UC-20 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 1 April 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 7 September 1916 as SM UC-20. In 13 patrols UC-20 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-20 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Preston in 1919–20.
SM U-34 was a German U-boat of World War I. Launched on 9 May 1914, U-34 sank a total of 119 ships during 17 combat patrols, while damaging another 5 ships. The vessel had three commanders during its time: Kptlt. Claus Rucker, Kptlt. Johannes Klasing, Kptlt. Wilhelm Canaris, and Klasing again, in that order. On 18 October 1918, U-34 sailed for the last time, disappearing with all 38 crew members lost. Although it was claimed that she was depth charged and sunk near Gibraltar by HMS Privet on 9 November 1918, it is believed that the U-boat had been lost prior to that, but it has never been confirmed one way or the other.
SM U-82 was a Type U 81 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.
SM U-75 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-75 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. On her first mission, U-75 laid the mine that sank the cruiser HMS Hampshire during her voyage to Russia carrying British Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. The cruiser sank at 59°07′N03°24′W west of the Orkney Islands with nearly total loss of life in a force 9 gale.
SM U-81 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-81 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
SM U-84 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-84 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
SM U-85 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-85 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
SM U-87 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-87 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. She sank some 22 merchant vessels before 25 December 1917, when HMS Buttercup rammed U-87 in the Irish Sea and depth-charged her. Then the P-class sloop P.56 sank her. U-87's entire crew of 44 were lost.
SM U-88 was a Type U 87 submarine built for the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-88 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
SM U-89 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-89 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. On 12 February 1918, U-89 was rammed and sunk by HMS Roxburgh off Malin Head. There were no survivors.
SM U-91 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-91 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
SM U-97 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-97 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. The German unit sank by accident on her way to surrender at position 53°25′N3°10′E.
SM U-98 was a Type U 93 submarine and one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-98 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
Type 87 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.
Type 93 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.
SM UB-64 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 August 1917 as SM UB-64.
SM UB-73 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 2 October 1917 as SM UB-73.