SM UC-61

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-61.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-61
Ordered: 12 January 1916[1]
Builder: AG Weser, Bremen[2]
Yard number: 259[1]
Laid down: 3 April 1916[1]
Launched: 11 November 1916[1]
Commissioned: 13 December 1916[1]
Fate: stranded near Boulogne; flooded and scuttled, 26 July 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 422 t (415 long tons), surfaced
  • 504 t (496 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
Speed: 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph), surfaced*7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 59 nmi (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
  • 6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes
  • 18 × UC 200 mines
  • 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern)
  • 7 × torpedoes
  • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) Uk L/30 deck gun
Notes: 30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Georg Gerth[4]
  • 13 December 1916 – 26 July 1917
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 11 merchant ships sunk (13,821 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged (3,476 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk (7,578 tons)
  • 1 warship damaged (570 tons)

SM UC-61 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, laid down on 3 April 1916, and was launched on 11 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 13 December 1916 as SM UC-61.[Note 1] In five patrols UC-61 was credited with sinking 11 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-61 was stranded north of Boulogne on 26 July 1917. The U-boat's crew flooded and scuttled their ship.[1]

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-61 had a displacement of 422 tonnes (415 long tons) when at the surface and 504 tonnes (496 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 3.67 m (12 ft 0 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).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 59 nautical miles (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-61 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 centimetres (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[5]
5 March 1917 Copenhagen  United Kingdom 2,570 Sunk
30 April 1917 HMT Arfon  Royal Navy 227 Sunk
30 April 1917 Gorizia  Uruguay 1,957 Sunk
30 April 1917 Little Mystery  United Kingdom 114 Sunk
3 May 1917 Fils Du Progres  France 25 Sunk
3 May 1917 Giovannina  Kingdom of Italy 3,030 Sunk
5 May 1917 Le Gard  France 1,658 Damaged
8 May 1917 Nelly  France 1,868 Sunk
10 May 1917 Broomhill  United Kingdom 1,392 Sunk
10 May 1917 Minerva  Norway 518 Sunk
27 June 1917 Kleber  French Navy 7,578 Sunk
28 June 1917 Edith Fische  Norway 1,818 Damaged
4 July 1917 Ull  Norway 543 Sunk
6 July 1917 Indutiomare  Belgium 1,577 Sunk
7 July 1917 HMS Ettrick  Royal Navy 570 Damaged

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.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 61". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 3 Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Gerth". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 61". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 January 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. 
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