SM UB-51

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-51.
Career (German Empire)
Name:	UB-51
Ordered:	20 May 1916[1]
Builder:	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Cost:	3,276,000 German Papiermark[2]
Yard number:	296[2]
Launched:	8 March 1917[3]
Commissioned:	26 July 1917[3]
Fate:	surrendered 16 January 1919; broken up at Swansea[3]
General characteristics
Class and type:	German Type UB III submarine
Type:	Coastal submarine
Displacement:	516 t (508 long tons; 569 short tons) surfaced 651 t (641 long tons; 718 short tons) submerged[2]
Length:	55.3 m (181 ft) o/a[2]
Beam:	5.8 m (19 ft)[2]
Draught:	3.68 m (12.1 ft)[2]
Propulsion:	2 shafts 6-cylinder MAN diesel engines,[3] 1,100 ihp (820 kW) Siemens-Schuckert[3] electric motors, 788 ihp (588 kW)[2]
Speed:	13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged[2]
Range:	9,040 nmi (16,740 km; 10,400 mi) at 6 kn (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged[2]
Test depth:	50 m (160 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 31 men[3]
Armament:	• 5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) with 10 torpedoes • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun[3]

SM UB-51 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 26 July 1917 as SM UB-51.^{[nb 1]}

She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-51 was surrendered 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following orders by Admiral Reinhard Scheer to return to port. UB-51 was later broken up at Swansea.^[3]

Construction

UB-51 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg^[2] and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 8 March 1917. UB-51 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt Ernst Krafft. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-51 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-51 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740 km).^[2] UB-51 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons; 569 short tons) while surfaced and 651 t (641 long tons; 718 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.^[2]

Summary of Raiding Career

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate[4]
30 September 1917	Amiral Troude	France	1,876	Sunk
5 October 1917	Forestmoor	United Kingdom	2,844	Sunk
12 October 1917	Themis	Norway	7,403	Sunk
17 November 1917	Clan Maccorquodale	United Kingdom	6,517	Sunk
27 November 1917	Tungue	Portugal	8,021	Sunk
8 February 1918	Cimbrier	United Kingdom	3,905	Damaged
10 May 1918	Szechuen	United Kingdom	1,862	Sunk
16 May 1918	Mansoura	France	50	Sunk
18 May 1918	Mabrouka	France	25	Sunk
18 May 1918	Tewfig El Bari	France	100	Sunk
18 May 1918	Maria	France	60	Sunk
18 May 1918	Menewar	France	270	Sunk
18 May 1918	Mabrouka	France	45	Sunk
27 May 1918	Leasowe Castle	United Kingdom	9,737	Sunk
29 May 1918	Missir	United Kingdom	786	Sunk
11 July 1918	Bacchus	France	2,045	Sunk
20 July 1918	Kosseir	United Kingdom	1,855	Sunk
22 July 1918	Ijuin	United Kingdom	257	Sunk
22 July 1918	L 1	United Kingdom	130	Sunk
28 July 1918	Hyperia	United Kingdom	3,908	Sunk

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

• Gröner, Erich (1985). U-Boote, Hilfskreuzer, Minenschiffe, Netzleger, Sperrbrecher. Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe, 1815-1945 (in German) III (Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-4802-4. 
• Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7. 
• Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 - 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German) I (Munich: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.