SM U-104
| Career (German Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | SM U-104 |
| Ordered: | 15 September 1915 |
| Builder: | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Laid down: | 4 August 1916 |
| Launched: | 3 July 1917 |
| Commissioned: | 12 August 1917 |
| Fate: | Depth-charged and sunk 25 April 1918. 41 dead, 1 survivor. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | German Type U 57 submarine |
| Displacement: | 808 tons surfaced 946 tons submerged 1160 tons (total) |
| Length: | 70.60 m (overall) 55.55 m (pressure hull) |
| Beam: | 6.30 m (overall) 4.15 m (pressure hull) |
| Draught: | 4.02 m |
| Propulsion: | 2400 hp surfaced 1200 hp submerged |
| Speed: | 16.8 knots surfaced 9.1 knots submerged |
| Range: | 11,220 nautical miles (20,780 km) surfaced 56 nautical miles (104 km) submerged |
| Complement: | 39 men |
| Armament: | 16 torpedoes (4/2 in bow/stern tubes) 105mm deck gun with 220 rounds 88mm deck gun |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
Kaiserliche Marine II Flotilla 1 October 1917 - 25 April 1918 |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt. Kurt Bernis[1] 1 October 1917 - 25 April 1918 |
| Operations: | 4 patrols |
| Victories: | 8 merchant ships sunk 10,795 GRT |
SM U-104 was a German Type U 57 U-boat during the First World War. U-104 was built at AG Weser in Bremen, launched on 3 July 1917 and commissioned on 12 August 1917. She completed four patrols under Kptlt. Kurt Bernis and was responsible for the sinking of eight vessels of a total of 10,795 gross register tons (GRT). Among these was the American lightship LV 71, stationed at Diamond Shoals; the latter reported the submarine's presence in the area, at which point Bernis notified the lightship of his intentions and allowed her crew to depart before shelling the vessel and sinking her.[2]
Loss
On 25 April 1918 the U-104 was engaged by USS Cushing in St. George's Channel and severely damaged. Later the same day HMS Jessamine came upon her and dropped further depth-charges, sinking her and leaving but a single survivor of her 42-member crew. The wreckage lies at position 51°59′N 6°26′W / 51.983°N 6.433°WCoordinates: 51°59′N 6°26′W / 51.983°N 6.433°W.
Summary of Raiding Career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 October 1917 | Sapele |  United Kingdom |
4,366 | Sunk |
| 15 December 1917 | Maidag |  Norway |
1,253 | Sunk |
| 21 December 1917 | Spro | Norway |
1,507 | Sunk |
| 25 December 1917 | Ajax |  Denmark |
1,018 | Sunk |
| 2 March 1918 | Kenmare | United Kingdom |
1,330 | Sunk |
| 12 April 1918 | Njaal |  Russian Empire |
578 | Sunk |
| 16 April 1918 | Widwud | Russian Empire |
299 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Fern | United Kingdom |
444 | Sunk |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kurt Bernis". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-104". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-104". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
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