SM U-28 (Germany)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-28.

SM U-28 as seen from SS Batavier V, a ship she captured as a prize in March 1915.
Career (German Empire)
Name: U-28
Ordered: 19 February 1912
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Launched: 30 August 1913
Commissioned: 26 June 1914
Fate: Sunk 2 September 1917. 39 dead.
General characteristics
Class and type: German Type U 27 submarine
Displacement: 685 tons surfaced
878 tons submerged[1]
Length: 64.7 m (212.3 ft)[2]
Beam: 6.32 m (20.7 ft)[2]
Draught: 3.48 m (11.4 ft)[2]
Speed: 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h) (surfaced)
9.8 knots (18.1 km/h) (submerged)
Range: 9,770 nautical miles (18,090 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h) (surfaced)
85 nautical miles (157 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) (submerged)
Test depth: 50 m (164.0 ft)
Armament:
  • 4 x 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes
  • 1 x 88 mm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of: Kaiserliche Marine
Commanders: Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner 1 Aug 1914 - 14 Jun 1916
Otto Rohrbeck 15 Jun 1916 - 4 Aug 1916
Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart 5 Aug 1916 - 14 Jan 1917
Georg Schmidt 15 Jan 1917 - 2 Sep 1917[3]
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories: 39 ships sunk for a total of 93.782 tons.

SM U-28 was a Type U 27 U-boat, commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine on 26 June 1914 with Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner in command. Frhr. v. Forstner was relieved on 15 June 1916, by Otto Rohrbeck who was in turn relieved on 5 August by Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart. On 15 January 1917, Georg Schmidt took command.

U-28 conducted four patrols, sinking 39 ships totalling 93,782 tons. Der Krieg zur See: Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten, the official history of the U-boats of World War I, describes U-28's final patrol in this way:

On 19 August 1917 U-28 left Emden for the war on shipping in the Arctic Sea. Officially confirmed newspaper reports state that, on 2 September) at 1155 a.m., 85 miles NbE½E (north by east, a half east -- 16.875°) from North Cape, in position , the U-boat attacked the armed English steamer (SS) Olive Branch, 4649 t., carrying munitions from England for Arkhangelsk. Since the steamer was not sunk by a torpedo hit, U-28 came to close range to finish her with gunfire. The second shell hit the cargo of munitions, which detonated with an enormous explosion, whereby the U-boat was so badly damaged that it sank. Some men of the crew of U-28 were seen swimming, but were not picked up by the Olive Branch's lifeboats. No survivors.

Parenthetical comments added. All hands lost meant 39 dead.

A British description of the same event, Under the Black Ensign by R. S. Gwatkin-Williams, states that when the ammunition detonated, a truck carried as deck cargo was blown into the air and fell from a great height on the U-boat, sinking it. While it is not impossible that a doomed but heroic lorry wreaked vengeance for King and Country, the blast from the explosion probably laid the submarine over far enough to swamp her open hatches.

Alleged sea monster sighting

On 30 July 1915, U-28 sunk British Steamer Iberian. The ship sank rapidly into the water. The wreckage remained under the water for about 25 seconds until an explosion sent some of the debris flying up. Along with the debris was a creature described as being some 20 metres (60 feet) long. The creature was described as looking like a crocodile. It had four limbs resembling webbed feet and a long tail. It was spotted by the captain and six other officers.[4]

German Type U 27 submarines

U-27  · U-28  · U-29  · U-30

References

  1. ^ Uboat.net U 27 type
  2. ^ a b c Uboat.net
  3. ^ U28
  4. ^ "U28 creature". unknownexplorers.com. http://www.unknownexplorers.com/u28creature.php. Retrieved 2007-08-15. 

External links