SM U-36

SM U-36 was a Type 31 U-boat in the service of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) of the German Empire, employed in the commerce war in World War I.

History

U-36 was laid down on 2 January 1913 at Germaniawerft in Kiel. She was launched on 6 June 1914 and commissioned on 14 November 1914, under the command of Kplt. Ernst Graeff.^[4] During February 1915, she carried out acceptance trials at Kiel,^[4] and was attached to the 2d Half-Flotilla in the North Sea in March.^[4]

World War I

SM U-36's movements and operations were monitored and reported by British Naval Intelligence^[4] (better known as Room 40).

Her first war patrol was in Heligoland Bight 29 - 30 March 1915; she reported no sinkings.^[4]

On 23 April, she returned to Heligoland Bight, apparently from a North Sea patrol.^[4][5]

She departed 29 April, bound again North Sea, where she sank the 1,966 ton Danish steamer Lilian Drost on 8 May,^[4] captured the 1,241 ton Swedish steamer Björn 10 May as a prize,^[4] while capturing and releasing the 654 ton Dutch steamer Niobe the same day.^[4]

U-36 returned to North Sea station 17 July.^[4] Operating off the north and northwest coast of Scotland,^[4] she sank three steamers (the 3,644 Russian Rubonia, 22 July;^[4] the 1,505 ton Frenchman Danae, stopped according to prize rules and sunk; and the 3,819 ton Norwegian Fimreite, both the next day).^[4]

On 22 July, U-36 also attacked a group of fishing vessels west of the Orkney Islands, sinking nine small trawlers^[4] and two sailing vessels,^[4] and took one prize.^[4]

Shortly before she was sunk, she intercepted and captured the Pass of Balmaha, an American windjammer bearing a cargo of cotton intended for Russia, en route to Kirkwall to be inspected by British authorities. An ensign from U-36 was left aboard the Pass to ensure her successful passage to Cuxhaven. The Pass was refitted as a merchant raider and re-christened Seeadler, commanded by Count Felix von Luckner, soon to become famous for her naval exploits in the Atlantic and Pacific.^[6]

Fate

U-36 was sunk in the afternoon of 24 July 1915 in combat with the British Q-ship^[4][7] Prince Charles (commanded by Lieutenant Mark Wardlaw, Royal Navy) off the coast of North Rona in the Outer Hebrides. The submarine had just stopped and boarded the Danish vessel SS Luise and a boarding party was in the process of dumping her cargo when a lookout sighted an approaching steamer. U 36 sailed towards the disguised Prince Charles and ordered her to stop while firing at her. The Q-ship complied, swinging out her boats. The unsuspecting submarine came within about 600 m (660 yd) of the ship when Prince Charles hoisted the British flag of war and commenced firing. Taken completely by surprise, U-36 took several direct hits and heavy damage, and sank. When Luise moved to pick up the survivors floating in the water, Prince Charles fired into her, believing her to be a German resupply vessel. Forty-five minutes after U-36 sank, the remaining survivors were picked up by the Q-ship. Kplt. Graeff and 15 crewmen were saved, but 18 others were lost. U-36 was the first U-boat sunk by Q-ship, and one of only a handful to fall victim.

Shipping sunk or captured^[8]

• Lilian Drost, 1,966 tons, Danish steamer sunk on 8 May 1915
• Björn, 1,241 tons, Swedish steamer taken as prize and retained on 10 May 1915
• Niobe, 654 tons, Dutch steamer taken as prize on 10 May 1915 (later released)
• Nordlyset, 82 tons, Norwegian sailing vessel sunk on 19 Jul 1915
• King Athelstan, 159 tons, British trawler stopped and scuttled on 22 Jul 1915
• Rubonia, 3,644, Russian steamer sunk on 22 Jul 1915
• Star of Peace, 180 tons, British trawler stopped and sunk on 22 Jul 1915
• Danae, 1,505 tons, French steamer stopped and sunk on 23 Jul 1915
• Fimreite, 3,819 tons, Norwegian steamer sunk on 23 Jul 1915
• Hermione, 210 tons, British trawler stopped and sunk by gunnery on 23 Jul 1915
• Honoria, 207 tons, British trawler sunk on 23 Jul 1915
• Sutton, 332 tons, British trawler sunk on 23 Jul 1915
• Anglia, 107 tons, British trawler sunk on 24 Jul 1915
• Cassio, 172 tons, British trawler sunk on 24 Jul 1915
• Pass of Balmaha, 1,571 tons, American windjammer taken as prize on 24 Jul 1915. See above.
• Roslin, 128 tons, British fishing vessel stopped and sunk on 24 Jul 1915
• Strathmore, 163 tons, British trawler stopped and sunk on 24 Jul 1915

See also

• List of U-boats
• Room 40

Notes

References

• Spindler, Arno (1932,1933,1934,1941/1964,1966). Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. 5 Vols. Berlin: Mittler & Sohn. Vols. 4+5, dealing with 1917+18, are very hard to find: Guildhall Library, London, has them all, also Vol. 1-3 in an English translation: The submarine war against commerce. 
• Beesly, Patrick (1982). Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. London: H Hamilton. ISBN 978-0241108642. 
• Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, "U-Boats (1905-18), Volume 23, p.2534. London: Phoebus Publishing, 1978.
• Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1857284980. 
• Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3763759637. 
• Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3763762354. 
• Koerver, Hans Joachim (2008). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol I., The Fleet in Action. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-76-3. 
• Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-77-0. 

External links

• [1] Information on British Q-ships like the HMS Prince Charles.
• [2] Design specs and other useful information regarding U-31 type submarines.
• Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918. Great photo quality, comments in German.
• A 44 min. film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35. A German propaganda film without dead or wounded; many details about submarine warfare in World War I.
• Uboat.net: More detailed information about U-36.
• Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.