SM UB-54

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-54.

History
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-54.
German Empire
Name:	UB-54
Ordered:	20 May 1916^[1]
Builder:	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost:	3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number:	266
Launched:	18 April 1917^[2]
Commissioned:	12 June 1917^[2]
Fate:	sunk 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N 0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E / 53.250; 0.750Coordinates: 53°15′N 0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E / 53.250; 0.750 by British destroyers, 36 dead^[2]
General characteristics ^[2]
Class and type:	German Type UB III submarine
Type:	Coastal submarine
Displacement:	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced 646 t (636 long tons) submerged
Length:	55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam:	5.80 m (19.0 ft)
Draught:	3.72 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	2 × propeller shaft 2 × Körting four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,050 bhp (780 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed:	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range:	9,020 nmi (16,710 km; 10,380 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
Armament:	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) with 10 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Flandern Flotilla 8 August 1917 - 31 March 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner 12 June 1917 – February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Erich Hecht 8 February – 31 March 1918
Operations:	6 patrols
Victories:	14 merchant ships sunk (7,200 GRT)

SM UB-54 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 12 June 1917 as SM UB-54.^{[nb 1]}

The submarine conducted 6 patrols and sank 14 ships during the war for a total loss of 7,200 gross register tons (GRT).

She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-54 was apparently sunk on 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N 0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E / 53.250; 0.750 by British destroyers HMS Sturgeon, Thruster, and Retriever using depth charges, all hands were lost.^[2]

Construction

Main article: German Type UB III submarine

UB-54 was ordered 20 May 1916. She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 18 April 1917. UB-54 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner.Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-54 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-54 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-54 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[3]
20 August 1917	HMS Vala	Royal Navy	1,016	Sunk
25 August 1917	Frigga	Norway	1,046	Sunk
13 December 1917	Chili	France	1,318	Sunk
20 December 1917	Noris	Norway	583	Sunk
21 December 1917	Orne	France	928	Sunk
23 December 1917	Ragna	Norway	1,747	Sunk
27 January 1918	Nr. 14	Belgium	26	Sunk
29 January 1918	De Julia	Belgium	13	Sunk
29 January 1918	De Twee Marcels	Belgium	13	Sunk
29 January 1918	H. Debra Huysseme	Belgium	46	Sunk
29 January 1918	Jean Mathilde	Belgium	12	Sunk
29 January 1918	Le Jeune Arthur	Belgium	25	Sunk
29 January 1918	Marie	Belgium	16	Sunk
30 January 1918	Ferryhill	United Kingdom	411	Sunk

Notes

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

References

↑ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
1 2 3 4 5 Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.

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.

German Type UB III submarines

SM UB-48 SM UB-49 SM UB-50 SM UB-51 SM UB-52 SM UB-53 SM UB-54 SM UB-55 SM UB-56 SM UB-57 SM UB-58 SM UB-59 SM UB-60 SM UB-61 SM UB-62 SM UB-63 SM UB-64 SM UB-65 SM UB-66 SM UB-67 SM UB-68 SM UB-69 SM UB-70 SM UB-71 SM UB-72 SM UB-73 SM UB-74 SM UB-75 SM UB-76 SM UB-77 SM UB-78 SM UB-79 SM UB-80 SM UB-81 SM UB-82 SM UB-83 SM UB-84 SM UB-85 SM UB-86 SM UB-87 SM UB-88 SM UB-89 SM UB-90 SM UB-91 SM UB-92 SM UB-93 SM UB-94 SM UB-95 SM UB-96 SM UB-97 SM UB-98 SM UB-99 SM UB-100 SM UB-101 SM UB-102 SM UB-103 SM UB-104 SM UB-105 SM UB-106 SM UB-107 SM UB-108 SM UB-109 SM UB-110 SM UB-111 SM UB-112 SM UB-113 SM UB-114 SM UB-115 SM UB-116 SM UB-117 SM UB-118 SM UB-119 SM UB-120 SM UB-121 SM UB-122 SM UB-123 SM UB-124 SM UB-125 SM UB-126 SM UB-127 SM UB-128 SM UB-129 SM UB-130 SM UB-131 SM UB-132 SM UB-133 SM UB-136 SM UB-142 SM UB-143 SM UB-144 SM UB-145 SM UB-148 SM UB-149 SM UB-150 SM UB-154 SM UB-155

Preceded by: Type UB II Followed by: Type VII (World War II)

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