SM UB-125 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 18 May 1918 as SM UB-125.[Note 1]
 UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-125.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-125 |
| Ordered | 6 / 8 February 1917[1] |
| Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Cost | 3,654,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 298 |
| Laid down | 19 July 1917[2] |
| Launched | 16 April 1918[3] |
| Commissioned | 18 May 1918[3] |
| Fate | Surrendered 20 November 1918[3] |
 Japan | |
| Name | O-6 |
| Commissioned | 1920[3] |
| Decommissioned | 1921[3] |
| Fate | Broken up in Kure[3] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[3] |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: | 2 patrols |
| Victories: | |
UB-125 was surrendered 20 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. Handed over to Japan, she served as O-6 in the Imperial Japanese Navy until 1921 when she was broken up in Kure.[3]
Construction
editShe was built by AG Weser of Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 16 April 1918. UB-125 was commissioned later the same year under the command of Kptlt. Fritz Schubert. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-125 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun. UB-125 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,280 nautical miles (13,480 km; 8,380 mi). UB-125 had a displacement of 512 t (504 long tons) while surfaced and 643 t (633 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.9 knots (25.7 km/h; 16.0 mph) when surfaced and 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 1918 | Atxeri Mendi |  Spain
|
2,424 | Sunk |
| 30 August 1918 | Onega |  United States
|
3,636 | Sunk |
| 1 September 1918 | Actor |  United Kingdom
|
6,082 | Damaged |
| 3 September 1918 | Brava |  Portugal
|
3,184 | Sunk |
| 3 September 1918 | Lake Owens | United States
|
2,308 | Sunk |
| 4 September 1918 | Bogstad |  Norway
|
1,589 | Sunk |
| 12 September 1918 | Skjold |  Denmark
|
166 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
edit- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 125". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Fritz Schubert". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Vater". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 125". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
Bibliography
edit- 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. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.