SM U-83
| Career (German Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-83 |
| Ordered: | 23 October 1915 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | Werk 253 |
| Launched: | 13 July 1916 |
| Commissioned: | 6 September 1916 |
| Fate: | Sunk by gunfire of Q-Ship Farnborough SW of Ireland at 51°34′N 11°23′W / 51.567°N 11.383°WCoordinates: 51°34′N 11°23′W / 51.567°N 11.383°W, 17 February 1917. 35 dead and 1 survivor (all hands lost).[1] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type: | German Type U 81 submarine |
| Displacement: | 808 long tons (821 t) surfaced 946 long tons (961 t) submerged 1,160 long tons (1,179 t) total |
| Length: | 70.6 m (231 ft 8 in) o/a 55.5 m (182 ft 1 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in) o/a 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) pressure hull |
| Draught: | 4.02 m (13 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2,400 hp (1,790 kW) diesel engine 1,200 hp (895 kW) electric motor |
| Speed: | 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) surfaced 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged |
| Range: | 11,220 nmi (20,780 km) surfaced 56 nmi (104 km) submerged |
| Complement: | 39 men |
| Armament: | • 6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) • 16 × torpedoes • 1 × 105 mm (4.1 in) deck gun with 220 rounds • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
Kaiserliche Marine IV Flotilla 31 Oct 1916 - 17 Feb 1917 |
| Commanders: |
Kapitänleutnant Bruno Hoppe[3] 6 Sep 1916 - 17 Feb 1917 |
| Operations: | 2 |
| Victories: | 5 merchant ships sunk (6,286 GRT) |
SM U-83 was a Type U 81 u-boat of the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during the First World War. She had been commissioned and deployed to operate off the coast of the British Isles and attack coastal shipping as part of the German U-boat campaign.[1]
In a six-month career, U-83 made two combat patrols into the South-Western Approaches during the Atlantic campaign. In these patrols she sank five allied merchant ships for 6,286 GRT. On 17 February 1917, she torpedoed the British Q-ship HMS Farnborough off the Irish coast, but was sunk by Farnborough 's hidden armaments when she approached too close. There were just 2 survivors, picked up by Farnborough; 35 of her crew perished. Farnborough was commanded by the submarine hunter Gordon Campbell and had on board later Victoria Cross recipients Ronald Niel Stuart and William Williams.
Summary of Raiding Career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 December 1916 | Niord |  Sweden |
123 | Sunk |
| 4 February 1917 | Anna Maria |  France |
141 | Sunk |
| 4 February 1917 | Coquette | France |
167 | Sunk |
| 6 February 1917 | Crown Point |  United Kingdom |
5,218 | Sunk |
| 7 February 1917 | Diaz |  Russian Empire |
637 | Sunk |
| 10 February 1917 | Paquerette | France |
164 | Sunk |
| 17 February 1917 | HMS Farnborough |  Royal Navy |
3,207 | Damaged |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "U 83 - U-boats of World War I". uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ "Type U-81 boats". uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ "Kptlt. Bruno Hoppe". uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ↑ "SM U-83 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 20 January 2015.