SM UB-72

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-72.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-72
Ordered: 23 September 1916[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost: 3,337,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 96
Launched: 30 July 1917[2]
Commissioned: 9 September 1917[2]
Fate: Sunk 12 May 1918 at 50°8′N 2°41′W / 50.133°N 2.683°W / 50.133; -2.683Coordinates: 50°8′N 2°41′W / 50.133°N 2.683°W / 50.133; -2.683 by British submarine.[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 508 t (500 long tons) surfaced
  • 639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • V Flotilla
  • 28 October 1916 – 25 April 1917
  • II Flotilla
  • 25 April 1917 – 12 May 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Walter Creutzfeld[3]
  • 9 September 1917 – 1 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Traeger[4]
  • 2 March – 12 May 1918
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 5 merchant ships sunk (10,551 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ships damaged (3,358 GRT)

SM UB-72 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 German Imperial Navy on 9 September 1917 as SM UB-72.[Note 1]

UB-72 was serving in the English Channel when she was sunk by a torpedo from HMS D4 at 50°8′N 2°41′W / 50.133°N 2.683°W / 50.133; -2.683 on 12 May 1918.[2]

Construction

She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 30 July 1917. UB-72 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-72 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-72 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-72 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.


Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
3 February 1918 Svanfos  Norway 896 Sunk
28 March 1918 HMS Tithonus  Royal Navy 3,463 Sunk
30 March 1918 Vafos  Norway 1,322 Sunk
6 May 1918 Sandhurst  United Kingdom 3,034 Sunk
8 May 1918 Quito  United Kingdom 3,358 Damaged
9 May 1918 Baron Ailsa  United Kingdom 1,836 Sunk

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.
  2. ↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. ↑ Rössler 1979, p. 61.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Creutzfeld". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Friedrich Traeger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 72". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

Bibliography

  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 

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