SM U-96
For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-96.
| Career (German Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-96 |
| Ordered: | 15 September 1915 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | Werk 260 |
| Laid down: | 12 January 1916 |
| Launched: | 15 February 1917 |
| Commissioned: | 11 April 1917 |
| Status: | Surrendered 20 November 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | German Type U 93 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 nmi (20,780 km) surfaced 56 nmi (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: |
Imperial German Navy: IV Flotilla 24 May 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 |
| Commanders: |
Kptlt Heinrich Jeß[1] 24 May 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 |
| Operations: | 9 patrols |
| Victories: |
31 merchant ships sunk (95,253 gross register tons (GRT)) 3 ships damaged (16,220 GRT) |
SM U-96 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-96 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1917, she survived the war.[2]
Summary of Raiding Career
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 June 1917 | Shamrock |  United Kingdom |
170 | Sunk |
| 2 June 1917 | St. Bernard | United Kingdom |
186 | Sunk |
| 8 June 1917 | Orator | United Kingdom |
3,563 | Sunk |
| 9 June 1917 | Baron Cawdor | United Kingdom |
4,316 | Sunk |
| 14 July 1917 | Emanuel |  Denmark |
203 | Sunk |
| 21 July 1917 | Paddington | United Kingdom |
5,084 | Sunk |
| 23 July 1917 | Radioleine |  France |
4,029 | Damaged |
| 29 July 1917 | Anitra |  Norway |
593 | Sunk |
| 1 October 1917 | Carrabin |  United Kingdom |
2,739 | Sunk |
| 3 October 1917 | Hurst | United Kingdom |
4,718 | Sunk |
| 4 October 1917 | Rupee | United Kingdom |
39 | Sunk |
| 4 October 1917 | Young Clifford | United Kingdom |
47 | Sunk |
| 6 October 1917 | Bedale | United Kingdom |
2,116 | Sunk |
| 8 October 1917 | Greldon | United Kingdom |
3,322 | Sunk |
| 8 October 1917 | Memphian | United Kingdom |
6,305 | Sunk |
| 9 October 1917 | Champagne |  Royal Navy |
5,360 | Sunk |
| 9 October 1917 | Peshawur | United Kingdom |
7,634 | Sunk |
| 23 November 1917 | La Blanca | United Kingdom |
7,479 | Sunk |
| 24 November 1917 | Sabia | United Kingdom |
2,807 | Sunk |
| 26 November 1917 | Drot | Norway |
2,923 | Sunk |
| 28 November 1917 | Agenoria | United Kingdom |
2,977 | Damaged |
| 28 November 1917 | Apapa | United Kingdom |
7,832 | Sunk |
| 30 November 1917 | Derbent | United Kingdom |
3,178 | Sunk |
| 20 March 1918 | Custodian | United Kingdom |
9,214 | Damaged |
| 25 March 1918 | Destro | United Kingdom |
859 | Sunk |
| 28 March 1918 | Inkosi | United Kingdom |
3,661 | Sunk |
| 30 March 1918 | Geraldine | United Kingdom |
61 | Sunk |
| 30 March 1918 | St. Michan | United Kingdom |
43 | Sunk |
| 31 March 1918 | Conargo | United Kingdom |
4,312 | Sunk |
| 27 May 1918 | Michiel Taal Johsz |  Netherlands |
86 | Sunk |
| 5 June 1918 | Polwell | United Kingdom |
2,013 | Sunk |
| 9 June 1918 | Vandalia | United Kingdom |
7,333 | Sunk |
| 4 August 1918 | Reinhard |  Russian Empire |
239 | Sunk |
| 7 August 1918 | Highland Harris | United Kingdom |
6,032 | Sunk |
Original documents from Room 40
The following is a verbatim transcription of the recorded activities of SM U-96 known to British Naval Intelligence, Room 40 O.B.:[4]
"SM U-96. Kaptlt Jess, from U-79, in September 1918 to U-90. Came off the stocks at Kiel early in 1917, joined the Kiel School and remained there until about the end of May, when she left for the North Sea, being attached to the 4th Flotilla.
- 29 May - 21 June 1917. To S.W. of Ireland, northabout both ways, with U-95 on the way North as far as Shetlands. Claimed 8,000 tons.
- 10–30 July 1917. To S.W. of Ireland northabout both ways. Claimed 7,600 tons. Reported periscope damaged by a collision.
- 24 September - 16 October 1917. Went through Channel and operated in western approaches and Irish Sea. Returned northabout and by Sound. Sank 9 vessels of which Lloyds Registered Tonnage was 34,881 tons. Submarine claimed 37,000 tons.
- 21 November - 9 December 1917. To Irish Sea by Channel both ways. Claimed 35,000 tons. While returning from this cruise U-96 rammed UC-69 off Barfleur, an officer and 10 men of UC-69 being drowned.
- 14–20 February 1918. Went north but returned with defects.
- 14 March - 8 April 1918. To Irish Sea. Northabout both ways. Back via Sound. Claimed 19,000 tons. Seems to have been used in attempt to cut off transports from England to north of France.
- 25 May - 22 June 1918. To Irish Sea and south of Ireland via Bight and northabout. Back northabout and Sound. Sank 2 S.S. and fired on fishing fleet. Attacked 2 U.S. destroyers unsuccessfully, also 4 S.S. Was depth-charged on 4 June in Irish Sea, and returned with various defects. (Possibly depth-charged by HMS Viola on 18 June in 61°49′N 0°20′W / 61.817°N 0.333°W.)
- 30 July - 23 August 1918. Went northabout, found North Channel unsafe and proceeded to St. George’s Channel. Sank 1 S.S. only, and returned with starboard engine out of order, and bearings of port engine damaged.
- 20 November 1918. Surrendered at Harwich."
Note: S.S. = Steam Ship; S.V. = Sailing Vessel; northabout, Muckle Flugga, Fair I. = around Scotland; Sound, Belts, Kattegat = via North of Denmark to/from German Baltic ports; Bight = to/from German North Sea ports; success = sinking of ships
Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-77-0.
See also
- List of U-boats
- Room 40
Notes
- ↑ "Heinrich Jeß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ↑ "U-96". Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ↑ "SM U-96 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ↑ National Archives, Kew: HW 7/3, Room 40, History of German Naval Warfare 1914-1918 (Published below - Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918)
References
- Spindler, Arno (1932,1933,1934,1941/1964,1966). Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. 5 Vols. Berlin: Mittler & Sohn. Vols. 4+5, dealing with 1917+18, are very hard to find: Guildhall Library, London, has them all, also Vol. 1-3 in an English translation: The submarine war against commerce. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - Beesly, Patrick (1982). Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. London: H Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-10864-2.
- Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85728-498-0.
- Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-5963-7.
- Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-6235-4.
- Koerver, Hans Joachim (2008). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol I., The Fleet in Action. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-76-3.
- Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-77-0.
External links
- Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918.
- A 44 min. German film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
- Uboat.net: More detailed information about U-96.
- Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.
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