SM UC-66

History
German Empire
Name: UC-66
Ordered: 12 January 1916[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 282[1]
Launched: 15 July 1916[1]
Commissioned: 14 November 1916[1]
Fate: Sunk by HM seaplane No. 8656 off the Isles of Scilly on 27 May 1917.[3]
General characteristics [4]
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
Notes: 35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 3 February – 12 June 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Herbert Pustkuchen[5]
  • 18 November 1916 – 12 June 1917
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 31 merchant ships sunk (43,760 GRT)
  • 6 merchant ships damaged (27,410 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk (2,500 tons)

SM UC-66 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 12 January 1916 and was launched on 15 July 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 14 November 1916 as SM UC-66.[Note 1] In five patrols UC-66 was credited with sinking 33 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-66 was sunk by HM seaplane No. 8656 off the Isles of Scilly on 27 May 1917. The wreck was found by divers in 2009. This is a notable early aircraft success against a U-boat.[3]

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-66 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 508 tonnes (500 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 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).[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,420 nautical miles (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-66 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 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[4]

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[6]
11 February 1917 Ada  United Kingdom 187 Sunk
11 February 1917 Vasilissa Olga  Greece 1,400 Sunk
11 February 1917 Woodfield  United Kingdom 4,300 Damaged
12 February 1917 Afric  United Kingdom 11,999 Sunk
12 February 1917 Lucent  United Kingdom 1,409 Sunk
15 February 1917 Alma Jeanne  France 33 Sunk
15 February 1917 Argos  France 26 Sunk
15 February 1917 Desire Louise  France 31 Sunk
17 February 1917 Driebergen  Netherlands 1,884 Sunk
17 February 1917 Ootmarsum  Netherlands 2,313 Sunk
17 February 1917 Trompenberg  Netherlands 1,608 Sunk
21 February 1917 Energy  United Kingdom 25 Sunk
21 February 1917 K.L.M.  United Kingdom 28 Sunk
21 February 1917 Monarch  United Kingdom 35 Sunk
22 February 1917 Ambon  Netherlands 3,598 Damaged
11 March 1917 HMS Bayard  Royal Navy 220 Damaged
12 March 1917 Einar Jarl  Norway 1,849 Sunk
12 March 1917 Forget-Me-Not  United Kingdom 40 Sunk
12 March 1917 Glynymel  United Kingdom 1,394 Sunk
12 March 1917 Memnon  United Kingdom 3,203 Sunk
12 March 1917 Reindeer  United Kingdom 52 Sunk
13 March 1917 Try  United Kingdom 34 Sunk
17 March 1917 City of Memphis  United States 5,252 Sunk
17 March 1917 HMS Mignonette  Royal Navy 1,250 Sunk
18 March 1917 HMS Alyssum  Royal Navy 1,250 Sunk
19 March 1917 Armoricain  France 261 Sunk
20 March 1917 HMHS Asturias  Royal Navy 12,002 Damaged
20 March 1917 Hazelpark  United Kingdom 1,964 Sunk
21 March 1917 Avance  United Kingdom 57 Sunk
22 March 1917 Efeu  Norway 569 Sunk
17 April 1917 Clan Sutherland  United Kingdom 2,820 Damaged
22 April 1917 Arethusa  United Kingdom 1,279 Sunk
23 April 1917 HMT Rose II  Royal Navy 213 Sunk
27 April 1917 Quantock  United Kingdom 4,470 Damaged
1 May 1917 Bagdale  United Kingdom 3,045 Sunk
1 May 1917 John W. Pearn  United Kingdom 76 Sunk
1 May 1917 La Manche  France 335 Sunk
25 May 1917 Sjaelland  United Kingdom 1,405 Sunk
3 June 1917 Portofino  Kingdom of Italy 1,754 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 66". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 Innes McCartney (2015). The Maritime Archaeology of a Modern Conflict: Comparing the Archaeology of German Submarine Wrecks to the Historical Text. New York: Routledge. pp. 114–117. ISBN 978-1138814356.
  4. 1 2 3 Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Herbert Pustkuchen (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  6. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 66". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 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. 

Coordinates: 50°31′N 0°27′E / 50.517°N 0.450°E / 50.517; 0.450

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