SM UC-21
Career (German Empire) | |
---|---|
Name: | UC-21 |
Ordered: | 26 August 1915[1] |
Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2] |
Yard number: | 271[1] |
Launched: | 1 April 1916[1] |
Commissioned: | 12 September 1916[1] |
Fate: | disappeared September 1917[1] Found July 2013 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | German Type UC II submarine |
Displacement: | 417 t (460 short tons), surfaced[2] 493 t (543 short tons), submerged |
Length: | 161 ft 11 in (49.35 m)[2] |
Beam: | 17 ft 4 in (5.28 m)[2] |
Draft: | 12 ft 2 in (4 m)[3] |
Propulsion: | 2 × propeller shafts 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 500 bhp (370 kW)[3] 2 × electric motors, 460 shp (340 kW)[3] |
Speed: | 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h), surfaced[2] 7.0 knots (13.0 km/h), submerged |
Endurance: | 9,430 nautical miles at 7 knots, surfaced[3] (17,460 km at 13 km/h) 55 nautical miles at 4 knots, submerged[3] (102 km at 7.4 km/h) |
Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft)[3] |
Complement: | 26[3] |
Armament: | 6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes[3] 18 × UC 200 mines 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern) 7 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) KL/30 deck gun[2] |
Notes: | 35-second diving time[2] |
Service record[4] | |
---|---|
Part of: |
Flandern Flotilla 14 Nov 1916 – 30 Sep 1917 |
Commanders: |
Oblt Reinhold Saltzwedel[5] 15 Sep 1916 - 9 Jun 1917 Oblt Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti[6] 10 Jun 1917 - 30 Sep 1917 |
Operations: | 11 patrols |
Victories: |
98 merchant ships sunk (134,063 GRT) 5 merchant ships damaged (11,826 GRT) 1 ship captured as a prize (148 GRT) 1 warship damaged (778 tons) |
SM UC-21 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 26 August 1915 and was launched on 1 April 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 12 September 1916 as SM UC-21.[Note 1]
In 11 patrols UC-21 was credited with sinking 100 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. They included the British hospital ship Donegal, which UC-21 torpedoed in the English Channel on 17 April 1917, killing 29 already wounded soldiers and 12 crew.[7]
UC-21 disappeared after departing Zeebrugge for the Bay of Biscay on 13 September 1917.[1]
In July 2013 archaeologists found the wrecks of 44 submarines, including UC-21, off the southern and eastern coasts of Britain, near the county of Suffolk. Most were from the Imperial German Navy from World War I. Der Spiegel reported divers found 41 German U-boats, and three Royal Navy submarines, at depths of up to 50 feet (15 m).[8]
Summary of Raiding Career
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[9] |
---|---|---|---|---|
28 November 1916 | Clematis | United Kingdom | 22 | Sunk |
28 November 1916 | Lady of the Lake | United Kingdom | 91 | Sunk |
28 November 1916 | Vulcan | United Kingdom | 27 | Sunk |
28 November 1916 | Pelagia | United Kingdom | 84 | Sunk |
30 November 1916 | Draupner | Norway | 1,126 | Sunk |
30 November 1916 | Eggesford | United Kingdom | 4,414 | Damaged |
30 November 1916 | Therese | France | 165 | Sunk |
1 December 1916 | King Bleddyn | United Kingdom | 4,387 | Sunk |
2 December 1916 | Demetrios Inglesis | Greece | 2,088 | Sunk |
2 December 1916 | Robinson | France | 186 | Sunk |
2 December 1916 | Uribitarte | Spain | 1,756 | Sunk |
3 December 1916 | Aiglon | France | 280 | Sunk |
3 December 1916 | Louise | France | 155 | Sunk |
3 December 1916 | Verdun | France | 184 | Sunk |
4 December 1916 | Pallas | Russian Empire | 1,202 | Sunk |
5 December 1916 | Nexos | Denmark | 1,013 | Sunk |
6 December 1916 | Gerona | Spain | 1,328 | Sunk |
7 December 1916 | Avristan | United Kingdom | 3,818 | Sunk |
8 December 1916 | Dagon | United Kingdom | 250 | Sunk |
8 December 1916 | Falk | Norway | 1,379 | Sunk |
8 December 1916 | Marjolaine | France | 163 | Sunk |
8 December 1916 | Modum | Norway | 2,937 | Sunk |
17 December 1916 | Margaret | United Kingdom | 54 | Sunk |
18 January 1917 | HMS Ferret | Royal Navy | 778 | Damaged |
19 January 1917 | Joseph Rosalie | France | 138 | Sunk |
19 January 1917 | Marietta Di Giorgio | Norway | 988 | Sunk |
19 January 1917 | Tremeadow | United Kingdom | 3,653 | Sunk |
20 January 1917 | Kisagata Maru No. 3 | Japan | 2,588 | Sunk |
20 January 1917 | Jotunfjell | Norway | 2,492 | Damaged |
21 January 1917 | Victoire | France | 290 | Damaged |
21 January 1917 | Leontine | France | 124 | Sunk |
21 January 1917 | Saint Pierre | France | 127 | Sunk |
22 January 1917 | Bearnais | France | 301 | Sunk |
22 January 1917 | Precurseur | France | 364 | Sunk |
22 January 1917 | Stenimachos | Greece | 1,175 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Dan | Denmark | 1,869 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Gladiateur | France | 23 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Loire III | France | 27 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Marie 3 | France | 25 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Quebec | France | 3,346 | Sunk |
24 January 1917 | Vega | Denmark | 195 | Sunk |
25 January 1917 | Myrdal | Norway | 2,631 | Sunk |
1 February 1917 | Sainte Helene | France | 2,128 | Sunk |
10 February 1917 | Beechtree | United Kingdom | 1,277 | Sunk |
11 February 1917 | Dernes | Norway | 738 | Sunk |
12 February 1917 | Nordcap | Norway | 332 | Sunk |
13 February 1917 | Progreso | Norway | 1,620 | Sunk |
14 February 1917 | Longscar | United Kingdom | 2,777 | Sunk |
14 February 1917 | Mar Adriatico | Spain | 2,410 | Sunk |
15 February 1917 | Aline | France | 30 | Sunk |
15 February 1917 | Marion Dawson | United Kingdom | 2,300 | Sunk |
16 February 1917 | Niobe | France | 1,319 | Sunk |
16 February 1917 | Pollcrea | United Kingdom | 1,209 | Damaged |
17 February 1917 | Cabo | Norway | 1,254 | Sunk |
17 February 1917 | Silene | France | 171 | Sunk |
18 February 1917 | Triumph | United Kingdom | 52 | Sunk |
19 February 1917 | Rutenfjell | Norway | 1,844 | Sunk |
10 March 1917 | Asbjørn | Norway | 3,459 | Sunk |
12 March 1917 | Alice Charles | France | 41 | Sunk |
12 March 1917 | Arethuse | France | 40 | Sunk |
13 March 1917 | Girda | Norway | 1,824 | Sunk |
13 March 1917 | Vivina | Spain | 3,034 | Sunk |
14 March 1917 | Blaamanden | Norway | 954 | Sunk |
14 March 1917 | La Marne | France | 133 | Sunk |
15 March 1917 | Eugene Robert | France | 98 | Sunk |
15 March 1917 | Fleur D’Esperance | France | 24 | Sunk |
15 March 1917 | Frimaire | United Kingdom | 1,778 | Sunk |
15 March 1917 | Petit Jean | France | 21 | Sunk |
16 March 1917 | Anais | France | 130 | Sunk |
16 March 1917 | Madeleine Davoust | France | 148 | Sunk |
16 March 1917 | Ronald | Norway | 3,021 | Sunk |
18 March 1917 | Illinois | United States | 5,225 | Sunk |
17 April 1917 | HMHS Donegal | Royal Navy | 1,885 | Sunk |
19 April 1917 | Cilurnum | United Kingdom | 3,126 | Sunk |
20 April 1917 | Georgios | Greece | 3,124 | Sunk |
21 April 1917 | Emile Et Charlotte | France | 41 | Sunk |
21 April 1917 | Ville De Dieppe | Norway | 1,254 | Sunk |
22 April 1917 | Capenor | United Kingdom | 2,536 | Sunk |
22 April 1917 | Percy Birdsall | United States | 1,127 | Sunk |
22 April 1917 | Valerie | Norway | 2,140 | Sunk |
24 April 1917 | Barnton | United Kingdom | 1,858 | Sunk |
25 April 1917 | Baigorry | France | 2,161 | Sunk |
26 April 1917 | Boy Denis | United Kingdom | 41 | Sunk |
22 May 1917 | Jeune Albert | France | 25 | Sunk |
23 May 1917 | Harwood Palmer | United States | 2,885 | Sunk |
23 May 1917 | Lesto | United Kingdom | 1,940 | Sunk |
26 May 1917 | Aristides | Greece | 2,179 | Sunk |
26 May 1917 | Norhaug | Norway | 1,245 | Sunk |
27 May 1917 | Efstathios | Greece | 3,847 | Sunk |
28 May 1917 | Hiram | Norway | 598 | Sunk |
28 May 1917 | Urna | Norway | 2,686 | Sunk |
28 May 1917 | Waldemar | Norway | 1,267 | Sunk |
30 May 1917 | Sørland | Norway | 2,472 | Sunk |
2 June 1917 | Tonawanda | United Kingdom | 3,421 | Damaged |
7 June 1917 | Hafnia | Denmark | 1,619 | Sunk |
29 June 1917 | Lauwerzee | Netherlands | 47 | Sunk |
4 July 1917 | Bestevaer | Netherlands | 1,044 | Sunk |
4 July 1917 | Roelfina | Netherlands | 148 | Captured as a prize |
11 July 1917 | Coquimbo | France | 1,759 | Sunk |
15 August 1917 | Phoebe | France | 3,956 | Sunk |
17 August 1917 | Pontoporos | Greece | 4,049 | Sunk |
19 August 1917 | Therese & Marie | France | 1,615 | Sunk |
31 August 1917 | Marques De Mudela | Spain | 1,930 | Sunk |
16 September 1917 | Ann J. Trainer | United States | 426 | Sunk |
23 September 1917 | St. Dunstan | United Kingdom | 730 | Sunk |
Notes
- ↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot translates as His Majesty's Submarine.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2009). "WWI U-boats: UC-21". U-Boat War in World War I. Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Tarrant 1989, p. 173
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Gardiner 1985, p. 182
- ↑ "The Type UC II boat SM UC-21 - German U-boats of WWI - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ↑ "Reinhold Saltzwedel (Pour le Mérite)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ↑ "Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti". Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ↑ The War on Hospital Ships, With Narratives of Eye-Witnesses and British and German Diplomatic Correspondence (Second and Revised ed.). New York and London: Harper and Brothers. 1918. p. 16.
- ↑ "German Subs: Sunken WWI U-Boats a Bonanza for Historians". spiegel.de. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- ↑ "SM UC-21 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
Bibliography
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