Unterseeboot 19 (1912)

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U-19
Country	German Empire
Branch	Kaiserliche Marine
Shipyard	Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Ordered	November 25, 1910
Laid down	October 20, 1911
Launched	October 10, 1912
Commissioned	July 6, 1913
Career
Patrols	12
Flotillas	III Flottille
Commanders	Constantin Kolbe Raimund Weisbach Johannes Spiess Heinrich Koch Hans Albrecht Liebeskind
Successes
46 ships sunk for a total of 64.816 tons
Fate
Surrendered November 24, 1918.

Unterseeboot 19 (also known as U-19) was a German U-boat built for the Kaiserliche Marine. Her construction was ordered on November 25, 1910, and her keel was laid down on October 20, 1911, at the Kaiserliche Werft of Danzig. She was launched on October 10, 1912, and commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine on July 6, 1913.

From August 1, 1914, to March 15, 1916, U-19 was commanded by Constantin Kolbe. He was relieved by Raimund Weisbach, who had previously served as torpedo officer on U-20 and had (on Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger's orders) launched the torpedo that sank Lusitania. During his brief command, Weisbach carried out an unusual mission: he delivered the revolutionary Roger Casement and two other agents to Ballyheige Bay in Ireland in hopes that they would foment an uprising that would distract the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from World War I.

Weisbach was relieved on August 11, 1916, by Johannes Spiess, who was relieved in turn on June 1, 1917, by Heinrich Koch. Koch turned the boat over on October 25, 1917, to Hans Albrecht Liebeskind, who commanded for less than a month before being relieved on November 17, 1917, by Johannes Spiess again. On June 1, 1918, Hans Albrecht Liebeskind took over again and commanded U-19 until the end of the war.

U-19 conducted 12 patrols, sinking 46 ships totalling 64,816 tons, including Santa Maria (5,383 tons) off Lough Swilly on February 25, 1918, Tiberia (4,880 tons) off Black Head near Larne on February 26, 1918, and HMS Calgarian (17,500 tons) off Rathlin Island on March 1, 1918.

[edit] Fate

On November 11, 1918, U-19 was surrendered to the British, and was broken up at Blyth sometime in 1919 or 1920.

The main gun of U19 was donated to the people of Bangor, Co. Down and today sits near the War Memorial in the town's Ward Park. It was donated by the Admiralty in recognition of the valorious conduct of Commander The Hon. Edward Bingham whilst on board HMS Nestor while fighting in the Battle of Jutland in July 1916 for which he received the Victoria Cross.