SM U-27 (Germany)

German UBoat U27 with crew
History
German Empire
Name:	U-27
Ordered:	19 February 1912
Builder:	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Launched:	14 July 1913
Commissioned:	8 May 1914
Fate:	Sunk 19 August 1915 in Western Approaches. 37 dead.
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:	German Type U 27 submarine
Displacement:	675 t (664 long tons) surfaced 878 t (864 long tons) submerged
Length:	64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam:	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught:	3.48 m (11 ft 5 in)
Speed:	16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) submerged
Range:	8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth:	50 m (164 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament:	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy: IV Flottilla 1 August 1914 – 19 August 1915
Commanders:	Kptlt. Bernd Wegener 8 May 1914 – 19 August 1915
Operations:	3 patrols
Victories:	10 merchant ships sunk (31,120 GRT) 2 warships sunk (6,325 tons)

SM U-27 was a German Type U-27 U-boat built for service in the Imperial German Navy. She was launched on 14 July 1913, and commissioned on 8 May 1914 with Kapitänleutnant Bernd Wegener in command.

On 18 October 1914, the British submarine HMS E3 was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-27. This was the first action in which one submarine sank another.

Sinking of HMS E-3

HMS E3 had sailed from Harwich on 16 October to patrol off Borkum in the North Sea. On 18 October, E3 spotted some German destroyers ahead but was unable to get into a position to take a shot at them. Unable to pass them, Commander Cholmley retreated into the bay to wait for them to disperse. As he did so, he failed to see that the bay was also occupied by U-27, under Kapitänleutnant Bernd Wegener.

Wegener was surfaced and patrolling between the Ems and Borkum when at 11:25, an object resembling a buoy was spotted where no buoy should be. Suspecting a British submarine, U-27 immediately dived and closed the object. Although ‘conned down’, the number 83 was clearly visible on the conning tower of the British boat, now identified as such beyond reasonable doubt. Wegener tracked the submarine for two hours until able to approach ‘up sun’. He noted that the look-outs were staring intently in the other direction, towards the Ems. When the distance had closed to 656 yd (600 m), two G6 torpedoes were fired by U-27. Detonation followed 12 seconds later, and E3 sank immediately. The KTB records that men (probably the look-outs from the bridge) were visible in the water but fearing a second British submarine might have been lurking nearby, U-27 dived and withdrew. 30 minutes later, the U-boat returned to the scene to search for evidence and possible survivors but without success. All 28 members of E3's crew were lost.

Other encounters

• 31 October 1914, U-27 sank the seaplane carrier HMS Hermes in the Straits of Dover, in position 51°06.3′N 001°50.3′E / 51.1050°N 1.8383°E.^[2]
• 11 March 1915, U-27 sank the armed merchant cruiser HMS Bayano off Carswell Point, Stranraer at position 55°3′N 5°26′W / 55.050°N 5.433°W.^[3]
• 18 May 1915 – Drumcree ( United Kingdom) was torpedoed and sunk by U-27 eleven miles NE of Trevose Head in Cornwall. She was in ballast from Barry to Port Arthur, Texas.^[4]
• 19 May 1915 – Dumfries ( United Kingdom) was torpedoed and sunk by U-27 13 miles north of Trevose Head. She was carrying coal from Cardiff to Livorno with the loss of two lives^[5]

Fate

On 19 August 1915, U-27 was sunk in the Western Approaches in position 50°43′N 07°22′W / 50.717°N 7.367°WCoordinates: 50°43′N 07°22′W / 50.717°N 7.367°W by gunfire from Q-Ship HMS Baralong, and her entire crew including Bernd Wegener was killed in the so-called Baralong Incident.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate[6]
18 October 1914	HMS E3	Royal Navy	725	Sunk
31 October 1914	HMS Hermes	Royal Navy	5,600	Sunk
11 March 1915	HMS Bayano	Royal Navy	5,948	Sunk
13 March 1915	Hartdale	United Kingdom	3,839	Sunk
18 May 1915	Drumcree	United Kingdom	4,052	Sunk
19 May 1915	Dumfries	United Kingdom	4,121	Sunk
21 May 1915	Glenholm	United Kingdom	1,968	Sunk
18 August 1915	Ben Vrackie	United Kingdom	3,908	Sunk
18 August 1915	Gladiator	United Kingdom	3,359	Sunk
18 August 1915	Magda	Norway	1,063	Sunk
18 August 1915	Sverresborg	Norway	1,144	Sunk
19 August 1915	Pena Castillo	Spain	1,718	Sunk

References

1. Gröner 1991, pp. 6-7.
2. HMS Hermes at www.wrecksite.eu
3. "Record for HMS Bayano". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
4. Lettens, Jan. "SS Drumcree [+1915]". wrecksite. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
5. Lettens, Jan. "SS Dumfries [+1915]". wrecksite. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 27". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 December 2014.

Bibliography

• 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.