SM U-67
| Career (German Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-67 |
| Ordered: | 2 Feb 1913 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel[1] |
| Yard number: | 204[2] |
| Laid down: | 2 Feb 1913 , as U-8 (Austria-Hungary)[2] |
| Launched: | 15 May 1915 |
| Commissioned: | 4 Aug 1915 |
| Fate: | 20 Nov 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Fareham in 1921.[3] |
| General characteristics (as ordered) | |
| Type: | U-7-class submarine (Austria-Hungary) |
| Displacement: |
695 t (766 short tons) surfaced 885 t (976 short tons) submerged[4] |
| Length: | 228 ft (69 m) (OA)[4] |
| Beam: | 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m)[4] |
| Draft: | 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m)[4] |
| Propulsion: |
2 × shaft 2 × diesel engines, 2,300 bhp (1,700 kW) total 2 × electric motors, 1,240 shp (920 kW) total[4] |
| Speed: |
17 knots (31 km/h) surfaced 11 knots (20 km/h) submerged[1] |
| Complement: | unknown[4] |
| Armament: |
5 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 9 torpedoes 1 × 66 cm/26 (2.6 in) deck gun[4] |
| General characteristics (as completed) | |
| Class & type: | German Type U 66 submarine |
| Displacement: |
791 t (872 short tons) surfaced 933 t (1,028 short tons) submerged[1] |
| Length: | 228 ft (69 m)[1] |
| Beam: | 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m)[1] |
| Draft: | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)[1] |
| Propulsion: |
2 × shaft 2 × Germania 6-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines, 2,300 bhp (1,700 kW) total 2 × electric motors, 1,260 shp (940 kW) total[1] |
| Speed: |
16.8 knots (31.1 km/h) surfaced 10.3 knots (19 km/h) submerged[1] |
| Range: |
7,880 nmi (14,590 km) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), surfaced[5] 115 nautical miles (213 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h), submerged[1] |
| Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft)[1] |
| Complement: | 36[1] |
| Armament: |
5 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 12 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm KL/30 (3.45 in) deck gun[1] |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: |
13 patrols
17 ships sunk for a total of 39,694 tons. |
SM U-67 was a Type U 66 submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during the First World War. She had been laid down in November 1913 as U-8 the second boat of the U-7 class for the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine or K.u.K. Kriegsmarine) but was sold to Germany, along with the others in her class, in November 1914.
The submarine was ordered as U-8 from Germaniawerft of Kiel as the second of five boats of the U-7 class for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Navy became convinced that none of the submarines of the class could be delivered to the Adriatic via Gibraltar. As a consequence, the entire class, including U-8, was sold to the German Imperial Navy in November 1914. Under German control, the class became known as the U 66 type and the boats were renumbered; U-8 became U-67, and all were redesigned and reconstructed to German specifications. U-67 was launched in May 1915 and commissioned in August. As completed, she displaced 791 metric tons (872 short tons), surfaced, and 933 metric tons (1,028 short tons), submerged. The boat was 228 feet (69 m) long and was armed with five torpedo tubes and a deck gun.
A part of the 4th Flotilla throughout the war, U-67 sank 18 ships with a combined gross register tonnage (GRT) of 39,937 in thirteen war patrols. She also damaged three other ships of 14,766 GRT. On 20 November 1918, nine days after the Armistice, U-67 was surrendered to the British. She was broken up in 1921 at Fareham.
Design and construction
After the Austro-Hungarian Navy had competitively evaluated three foreign submarine designs, it selected the Germaniawerft 506d design, also known as the Type UD, for its new U-7 class of five submarines.[7] The Navy ordered five boats on 1 February 1913.[4]
The U-7 class was seen by the Austro-Hungarian Navy as an improved version of its U-3 class, which was also a Germaniawerft design.[4][Note 1] As designed for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the boats were to displace 695 metric tons (766 short tons) on the surface and 885 metric tons (976 short tons) while submerged. The doubled-hulled boats were to be 228 feet (69 m) long (OA) with a beam of 20 feet 8 inches (6.30 m) and a draft of 12 feet 5 inches (3.78 m). The Austrian specifications called for two shafts with twin diesel engines (2,300 brake horsepower (1,700 kW) total) for surface running at up to 17 knots (31 km/h), and twin electric motors (1,240 shaft horsepower (920 kW) total) for a maximum of 11 knots (20 km/h) when submerged.[4] The boats were designed with five 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes; four located in the bow, one in the stern. The boats' armament was to also include a single 66 cm/26 (2.6 in) deck gun.[4]
U-8 and sister boat U-7 were both laid down on 1 November 1913, the first two boats of the class begun.[8] Her construction was slated to be complete within 29 to 33 months.[4]
Neither U-8 nor any of her sister boats were complete when World War I began in August 1914.[8] With the boats under construction at Kiel, the Austrians became convinced that it would be impossible to take delivery of the boats, which would need to be towed into the Mediterranean past Gibraltar, a British territory.[4][Note 2] As a result, U-8 and her four sisters were sold to the Imperial German Navy on 28 November 1914.[1][Note 3]
U-8 was renumbered by the Germans as U-67 when her class was redesignated as the Type U 66. The Imperial German Navy had the submarines redesigned and reconstructed to German standards, which increased the surface displacement by 96 metric tons (106 short tons) and the submerged by 48 metric tons (53 short tons). The torpedo load was increased by a third, from 9 to 12, and the deck gun was upgraded from the 6.6 cm (2.6 in) gun originally specified to an 8.8 cm (3.5 in) one.[1]
Service career
U-67 was launched on 15 May 1915.[1] On 4 August, SM U-67 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy under the command of Korvettenkapitän Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski.[2] On 28 October 1915, U-67 was assigned to the IV. U-Halbflotille in which she remained for the duration of the war.[9]
In March 1916, Kapitänleutnant Hans Nieland replaced von Rosenberg-Grusczyski as the captain of U-67,[2] and it was under his command that U-67 was most successful, sinking 18 ships with a combined a total of 39,937 gross register tons (GRT), while damaging a further three of 14,766 tons.[10] U-67's most successful month was April 1917, when she sank four ships of 15,223 tons in a span of twelve days.[10][Note 4]
Nieland was succeeded as commander of U-67 by Oberleutnant zur See Helmuth von Rabenau in December 1917. Under his command during the last eleven months of the war, U-67 sank no more ships. During her service career under three commanders, U-67 had completed thirteen war patrols. She was surrendered to the British on 20 November 1918, nine days after the Armistice, and broken up at Fareham in 1921.[2]
Ships sunk or damaged
| Date | Name | Tonnage | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 April 1916 | Cardonia | 2,169 | British |
| 20 April 1916 | Whitgift | 4,397 | British |
| 22 April 1916 | Chanaral | 2,423 | French |
| 28 January 1917 | Daisy | 1,227 | Danish |
| 29 January 1917 | Punta Teno | 1,042 | Spanish |
| 1 February 1917 | Butron | 2,434 | Spanish |
| 2 February 1917 | Elikon | 1,166 | Greek |
| 5 February 1917 | Lorton | 1,419 | Peruvian |
| 19 February 1917 | Headley | 4,953 | British |
| 17 April 1917 | Kish | 4,928 | British |
| 18 April 1917 | Rhydwen | 4,799 | British |
| 20 April 1917 | Portloe | 3,187 | British |
| 28 April 1917 | Port Jackson | 2,309 | British |
| 19 July 1917 | Harrildsborg | 1,547 | Danish |
| 24 July 1917 | Viking | 873 | Swedish |
| 28 July 1917 | Rigmor | 798 | Danish |
| 15 September 1917 | Idomeneus* | 6,692 | British |
| 15 November 1917 | De Dollart | 243 | Dutch |
| 21 November 1917 | Breynton* | 4,240 | British |
| 22 November 1917 | Redbridge* | 3,834 | British |
| 27 November 1917 | Premier | 23 | British |
* damaged but not sunk
Notes
- ↑ The U-3-class submarines, however, were less than half the displacement and nearly 90 feet (27 m) shorter than the U-7 design. See: Gardiner, pp. 342–43.
- ↑ The Austro-Hungarian Navy's Germaniawerft-built U-3 class boats had been towed from Kiel to Pola via Gibraltar in 1909. See: Sieche, p. 19.
- ↑ In April 1915, just five months later, the German U-21 successfully entered the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar, proving that delivery would have been possible after all. See: Gardiner, p. 343.
- ↑ U-67 had also sunk four ships in February 1917 but with a lesser tonnage, 9,972 GRT.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Gardiner, p. 177.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 67". U-Boat War in World War I. Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ↑ Uboat.net U67
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 Gardiner, p. 343.
- ↑ Tarrant, p. 170.
- ↑ Uboat.net U-67
- ↑ Gardiner, p. 340.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Helgason, Guðmundur. WWI U-boats: U 66, WWI U-boats: U 67, WWI U-boats: U 68, WWI U-boats: U 69, WWI U-boats: U 70. U-Boat War in World War I. Uboat.net. Retrieved on 9 December 2008.
- ↑ Tarrant, p. 34.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Ships hit by U 67". U-Boat War in World War I. Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
Bibliography
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
- Sieche, Erwin F. (1980). "Austro-Hungarian Submarines". Warship, Volume 2. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-976-4. OCLC 233144055.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.
- 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 978-0-241-10864-2.
- Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85728-498-0.
- Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-5963-7.
- Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-6235-4.
- 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
- uboat.net webpage for U-67
- Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918.
- A 44 min. German film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
- 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.
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