SM UB-78

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-78.

History
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-78.
German Empire
Name:	UB-78
Ordered:	23 September 1916^[1]
Builder:	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost:	3,338,000 German Papiermark
Yard number:	307
Launched:	2 June 1917^[2]
Commissioned:	20 October 1917^[2]
Fate:	sunk 9 May 1918 off Cherbourg by ramming and depth charges at 49°49′N 1°30′W / 49.817°N 1.500°W / 49.817; -1.500Coordinates: 49°49′N 1°30′W / 49.817°N 1.500°W / 49.817; -1.500.^[2]
General characteristics ^[2]
Class and type:	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced 648 t (638 long tons) submerged
Length:	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam:	5.80 m (19.0 ft)
Draught:	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed:	13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range:	8,680 nmi (16,080 km; 9,990 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 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:	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:	V Flotilla 2 January – 18 February 1918 Flanders Flotilla 18 February – 19 April 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Woldemar Petri^[3] 20 October 1917 – 15 February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker^[4] 16 February – 17 March 1918 Oblt.z.S. Arthur Stoßberg^[5] 18 March – 19 April 1918
Operations:	5 patrols
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (1,241 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (7,040 GRT)

SM UB-78 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 20 October 1917 as SM UB-78.^{[nb 1]}

UB-78 was sunk on 9 May 1918 off Cherbourg after ramming and depth charging by TS Queen Alexandra, all 35 crew members died in the event.^[2]

Construction

Main article: German Type UB III submarine

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 2 June 1917. UB-78 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Woldemar Petri. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-78 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-78 would carry a crew of up to 3 officers and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,680 nautical miles (16,080 km; 9,990 mi). UB-78 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 648 t (638 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 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^[6]
21 March 1918	Strathearn	United Kingdom	152	Damaged
22 March 1918	Polleon	United Kingdom	1,155	Sunk
25 March 1918	HMD Border Lads	Royal Navy	86	Sunk
26 March 1918	British Star	United Kingdom	6,888	Damaged

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. 65.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Woldemar Petri". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Arthur Stoßberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 78". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 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.

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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