SM U-56

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-56.
Career (German Empire)
Name: U-56
Ordered: 23 August 1914
Builder: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down: 28 December 1914
Launched: 18 April 1916
Commissioned: 23 June 1916
Fate: 3 November 1916 - Missing after November 3, 1916. 35 dead (all hands lost)
General characteristics
Class and type:German Type U 51 submarine
Length:62.2 m
Draught:3.64 m
Speed:17.1 (sf) 9.1 (sm)kn
Range:9400 miles @ 8 kn(sf) 55 @ 5 kn(sm)
Test depth:~ca. 50 m (164 feet)
Armament:Deck gun: 88mm, 276 rounds, Torpedoes: 6 2/2 (bow / stern tubes) [1]
Service record
Part of: Imperial German Navy
II Flotilla
18 Jun 1916 - 3 Nov 1916
Commanders: Kptlt Hermann Lorenz[2]
24 Feb 1916 - 3 Nov 1916
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: 5 merchant ships sunk (5,701 GRT)

SM U-56 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-56 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

On November 2, 1916, U-56 was attacked by gunfire from the Russian destroyer Grozovoi off Khorne Island, Norway (near Vardö). U-56 was survived this attack. U-56 put the crew of the Norwegian merchant ship Ivanhoe ashore at 07:45 on November 3 at Lodsvik. The Norwegian sailors were abroad during the action the previous day and their description matches the Russian account.[3]

Summary of Raiding Career

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[4]
22 October 1916 Theodosi Tschernigowski  Russian Empire 327 Sunk
23 October 1916 Rensfjell  Norway 781 Sunk
25 October 1916 Dag  Norway 963 Sunk
26 October 1916 Oola  United Kingdom 2,494 Sunk
1 November 1916 Ivanhoe  Norway 1,136 Sunk

References

  1. ↑ Uboat.net type 51
  2. ↑ "Hermann Lorenz". Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Uboat.net U-56
  4. ↑ "SM U-56 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.