SM UC-44

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-44.
History
German Empire
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Name: UC-44
Ordered: 20 November 1915[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 77[1]
Launched: 10 October 1917[1]
Commissioned: 4 November 1916[1]
Fate: sunk by own mine, 4 August 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class & type: Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 400 t (390 long tons), surfaced
  • 480 t (470 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph), surfaced
  • 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 9,410 nmi (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
  • 6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes
  • 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) Uk L/30 deck gun
Notes: 48-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • I Flotilla
  • 1 January – 4 August 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Kurt Tebbenjohanns[4]
  • 4 November 1916 – 4 August 1917
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories:
  • 28 merchant ships sunk (25,709 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship taken as a prize (229 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk (550 tons)
  • 2 warship damaged (1,250 tons)

SM UC-44 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 20 November 1915 and was launched on 10 October 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 4 November 1916 as SM UC-44.[Note 1] In 6 patrols UC-44 was credited with sinking 29 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-44 was sunk by the detonation of one of her own mines off the Irish coast at position 52°07′N 6°59′W / 52.117°N 6.983°W / 52.117; -6.983Coordinates: 52°07′N 6°59′W / 52.117°N 6.983°W / 52.117; -6.983 on 4 August 1917. UC-44's wreck was raised by the Royal Navy in September 1917 and later broken up.[1]

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-44 had a displacement of 400 tonnes (390 long tons) when at the surface and 480 tonnes (470 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45 m (162 ft 3 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 260 metric horsepower (190 kW; 260 shp) (a total of 520 metric horsepower (380 kW; 510 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,410 nautical miles (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-44 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[5]
11 February 1917 Ashwold  United Kingdom 129 Sunk
12 February 1917 Adolf  Sweden 835 Sunk
12 February 1917 Dale  United Kingdom 198 Sunk
13 February 1917 King Alfred  United Kingdom 159 Sunk
14 February 1917 Belvoir Castle  United Kingdom 221 Sunk
14 February 1917 Mary Bell  United Kingdom 144 Sunk
5 March 1917 Guadiana  Portugal 326 Sunk
7 March 1917 Adalands  Norway 1,577 Sunk
7 March 1917 Westwick  United Kingdom 5,694 Sunk
9 March 1917 HMS Albacore  Royal Navy 440 Damaged
12 March 1917 Lucy Anderson  United Kingdom 1,073 Sunk
12 March 1917 Marna  Norway 914 Sunk
13 March 1917 Navenby  United Kingdom 167 Sunk
13 March 1917 Nuttallia  United Kingdom 229 Captured as a prize
28 March 1917 Ruby  United Kingdom 234 Sunk
13 April 1917 Bandon  United Kingdom 1,456 Sunk
15 April 1917 Dalmatian  United Kingdom 186 Sunk
15 April 1917 Heikina  Netherlands 157 Sunk
15 April 1917 Sutterton  United Kingdom 160 Sunk
19 April 1917 Poltava  United Kingdom 945 Sunk
20 April 1917 Erith  United Kingdom 168 Sunk
20 April 1917 Grecian  United Kingdom 119 Sunk
21 April 1917 Peik  Norway 701 Sunk
22 April 1917 Nightingale  United Kingdom 91 Sunk
23 April 1917 Auriac  United Kingdom 871 Sunk
23 April 1917 Baron Stjernblad  Denmark 991 Sunk
23 April 1917 Scot  Denmark 1,564 Sunk
28 May 1917 Turid  Norway 1,148 Sunk
30 June 1917 Asalia  Norway 2,348 Sunk
30 June 1917 Phoebus  Kingdom of Italy 3,133 Sunk
6 July 1917 HMS Itchen  Royal Navy 550 Sunk
7 August 1917 HMS Haldon  Royal Navy 810 Damaged

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC-44". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 3 Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kurt Tebbenjohanns". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC-44". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.

Bibliography

  • Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7. 
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866. 
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385. 
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