SM U-23 (Germany)
For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-23.
| Career (German Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-23 |
| Ordered: | 18 March 1911 |
| Builder: | Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Cost: | 2,808,000 Goldmark |
| Yard number: | 117 |
| Laid down: | 21 December 1911 |
| Launched: | 12 April 1912 |
| Commissioned: | 11 September 1913 |
| Fate: | 20 Jul 1915 - torpedoed and sunk by HMS C27 |
| General characteristics Ocean-going diesel submarine | |
| Class and type: | German Type U 23 submarine |
| Displacement: | 669 t (737 short tons) surfaced 864 t (952 short tons) submerged |
| Length: | 64.70 m (212.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) |
| Draught: | 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 shafts 2 × Germania 6-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,800 PS (1,800 hp) 2 × SSW double Motordynamos with 1,200 PS (1,200 hp) 450rpm surfaced 330 rpm submerged |
| Speed: | 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 97,910 nautical miles (181,330 km; 112,670 mi) at 8 kn surfaced 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 kn submerged |
| Test depth: | about 50 m (160 ft) |
| Boats and landing craft carried: | 1 dingi |
| Complement: | 4 officers, 31 men |
| Armament: | 4 x 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) with 6 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 gun |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
Imperial German Navy IV Flotilla 1 Aug 1914 - unknown end III Flotilla unknown start - 20 Jul 1915 |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt Erwin Weisbach[1] 1 Aug 1914 - 25 Nov 1914 Kptlt Hans Adam[2] 26 Nov 1914 - 17 Dec 1914 Kptlt Egewolf Freiherr von Berckheim[3] 18 Dec 1914 - 12 Jan 1915 Kptlt Hans Schultheß[4] 13 Jan 1915 - 20 Jul 1915 |
| Operations: | 3 patrols |
| Victories: | 7 ships sunk (8,822 GRT) |
SM U-23 was one of the 329 U-boats serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-23 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
U-23 served on 3 war patrols, sinking a total of 7 ships for 8,822 tons. She was baited by the Q ship Princess Louise and torpedoed by HMS C27 at 58°55′N 0°14′E / 58.917°N 0.233°ECoordinates: 58°55′N 0°14′E / 58.917°N 0.233°E, between the Orkney and Shetland Islands off Fair Isle. Twenty four men died and 10 survived.
Summary of Raiding Career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1915 | Invergyle |  United Kingdom |
1,794 | Sunk |
| 15 May 1915 | Fingal | United Kingdom |
1,562 | Sunk |
| 15 May 1915 | Martha |  Denmark |
1,182 | Sunk |
| 19 May 1915 | Chrysolite | United Kingdom |
222 | Sunk |
| 19 May 1915 | Crimond | United Kingdom |
173 | Sunk |
| 19 May 1915 | Lucerne | United Kingdom |
154 | Sunk |
| 22 May 1915 | Minerva |  Norway |
3,735 | Sunk |
References
- ↑ "Erwin Weisbach". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Hans Adam (Pour le Mérite)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Egewolf Freiherr von Berckheim (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Hans Schultheß". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "SM U-23 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
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