SM U-44
For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-44.
Career (German Empire) | |
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Name: | U-44 |
Ordered: | 10 July 1913 |
Builder: | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig |
Launched: | 15 October 1914 |
Commissioned: | 7 May 1915 |
Fate: | 12 August 1917 - Rammed by HMS Oracle off S Norway at 58°51′N 04°20′E / 58.850°N 4.333°E. 44 dead (all hands lost). |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Type U-43 submarine |
Displacement: | 725 tons surfaced 940 tons submerged 1,059 tons (total) |
Length: | 65 m (213 ft) (oa 52.51 m (172.3 ft) (pressure hull) |
Beam: | 6.2 m (20 ft) (oa) 4.18 m (13.7 ft) (pressure hull) |
Height: | 8.7 m (29 ft) |
Draught: | 3.74 m (12.3 ft) |
Installed power: | surfaced 2400 hp submerged 1200 hp |
Speed: | 17.1 kn (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) 9.1 kn (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) |
Range: | 9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged |
Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement: | 36 |
Armament: | 4 x 50 cm (19.7 in)[1] torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern; 6 torpedoes) 1 x 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun with 276 rounds |
Service record | |
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Commanders: |
Kptlt Paul Wagenführ (7 May 1915 - 12 Aug 1917) |
Operations: | 6 patrols |
Victories: |
22 merchant ships sunk (72,542 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (5,404 GRT) 3 merchant ships taken as prize (430 GRT) |
SM U-44 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-44 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1915, she was sunk in July 1917.
Operations
SM U-44, under the command of Paul Wagenführ, was completed at Danzig about June or July 1915. She later joined the Kiel School, where she remained until 20 August 1915 undergoing trials. She then proceeded to the North Sea and was attached to the 3rd Half Flotilla.
- 25 – 26 September 1915. On Bight patrol.
- 5–10 October, 16–21 October, and 26–29 October 1915. Bight patrols.
- 14–25 December 1915. North Sea cruise.
- 17–28 January 1916. North Sea cruise to NE coast of England.
- 18 March - 17 April 1916. Northabout to Channel approach, was possibly submarine which torpedoed HMS Begonia. Sank 5 S.S., 2 sailing vessels.
- 17 May - 3 June 1916. North Sea patrol (Battle of Jutland).
- 16–21 July 1916. North Sea patrol, Returned with defect.
- 26 July - 5 August 1916. North Sea. Returned owing to bad weather.
- 16–21 August 1916. North Sea patrol.
- 17–29 September 1916. Cruise to Fair Island Channel, sank 2 S.S., 1 armed yacht, 1 armed trawler.
- 1–25 January 1917. Northabout to SW of Ireland. Returned with fracture of propeller shaft. Sank 1 S.S., 3 prizes (trawlers).
- 19 February 1917. Left for the North, but returned next day with defect.
- 24 February - 24 March 1917. Northabout to Atlantic. Sank 3 sailing vessels, and 5 S.S.
- 23 April - ? 7 May 1917. Northabout ? to west of Ireland. Sank 1 sailing vessel ? 1 S.S.
- 17 July 1917. Northabout to north west of Ireland and the Atlantic. 2 S.S. sunk, also SS Belgian Prince on 31 July, survivors being lined up on submarines deck and drowned. On 12 August 1917, she was sunk by HMS Oracle at 58°50′N 4°20′E / 58.833°N 4.333°E.
Summary of Raiding Career
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 March 1916 | Ottomar | Russian Empire | 327 | Sunk |
27 March 1916 | Manchester Engineer | United Kingdom | 4,302 | Sunk |
29 March 1916 | HMS Begonia | Royal Navy | 1,250 | Damaged |
30 March 1916 | Bell | Norway | 3,765 | Sunk |
31 March 1916 | Achilles | United Kingdom | 7,043 | Sunk |
31 March 1916 | Goldmouth | United Kingdom | 7,446 | Sunk |
31 March 1916 | Hans Gude | Norway | 1,110 | Sunk |
1 April 1916 | Ashburton | United Kingdom | 4,445 | Sunk |
27 September 1916 | Thurso | United Kingdom | 1,244 | Sunk |
16 January 1917 | Baron Sempill | United Kingdom | 1,607 | Sunk |
23 January 1917 | Agnes | United Kingdom | 125 | Captured as a prize |
23 January 1917 | George E. Benson | United Kingdom | 155 | Captured as a prize |
23 January 1917 | Vera | United Kingdom | 150 | Captured as a prize |
6 March 1917 | Caldergrove | United Kingdom | 4,327 | Sunk |
6 March 1917 | Fenay Lodge | United Kingdom | 3,223 | Sunk |
7 March 1917 | Ohio | France | 8,719 | Sunk |
8 March 1917 | Dunbarmoor | United Kingdom | 3,651 | Sunk |
8 March 1917 | Silas | Norway | 750 | Sunk |
10 March 1917 | Aracataca | United Kingdom | 4,154 | Damaged |
14 March 1917 | Bray Head | United Kingdom | 3,077 | Sunk |
16 March 1917 | Narragansett | United Kingdom | 9,196 | Sunk |
28 April 1917 | Vacuum | United States | 2,551 | Sunk |
2 May 1917 | Natuna | Norway | 1,121 | Sunk |
21 July 1917 | Robert Smith | United Kingdom | 211 | Sunk |
24 July 1917 | Thorsdal | Norway | 2,200 | Sunk |
27 July 1917 | John Hays Hammond | United States | 132 | Sunk |
5 August 1917 | Bracondale | United Kingdom | 2,095 | Sunk |
References
- ↑ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "U-Boats (1905-18)", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, "(Phoebus Publishing, 1978), Volume 23, p.2534.
- ↑ "SM U-44 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
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