SM UB-55 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 1 July 1917 as SM UB-55.[Note 1]
![]() UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-55.
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History | |
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Name | UB-55 |
Ordered | 20 May 1916[2] |
Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
Cost | 3,276,000 German Papiermark |
Yard number | 267 |
Laid down | 5 September 1916[3] |
Launched | 9 May 1917[1] |
Commissioned | 1 July 1917[1] |
Fate | Sunk 22 April 1918 at 50°59′N 01°20′E / 50.983°N 1.333°E by mines, 30 dead[1] |
General characteristics [1] | |
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 |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[1] |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 7 patrols |
Victories: |
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-55 was sunk at 05:05 on 22 April 1918 at 51°01′N 01°20′E / 51.017°N 1.333°E after striking a mine, 30 crew members lost their lives in the event.[1]
Construction
editShe was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 9 May 1917. UB-55 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Ralph Wenninger. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-55 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-55 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-55 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
editDate | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[4] |
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5 November 1917 | Clan Cumming | United Kingdom | 4,808 | Damaged |
7 December 1917 | Proba | United Kingdom | 105 | Sunk |
8 December 1917 | Corinto | Norway | 999 | Sunk |
11 December 1917 | Argus | Portugal | 100 | Sunk |
11 December 1917 | Ligeiro | Portugal | 25 | Sunk |
11 December 1917 | A Portuguesa | Portugal | 107 | Sunk |
11 December 1917 | Vigneira | Portugal | 25 | Sunk |
16 December 1917 | Foylemore | United Kingdom | 3,831 | Sunk |
25 January 1918 | Eastlands | United Kingdom | 3,113 | Sunk |
26 January 1918 | Manhattan | United Kingdom | 8,001 | Damaged |
29 January 1918 | Addax | United Kingdom | 40 | Sunk |
29 January 1918 | General Leman | United Kingdom | 57 | Sunk |
29 January 1918 | Ibex | United Kingdom | 42 | Sunk |
29 January 1918 | Perriton | United Kingdom | 90 | Sunk |
29 January 1918 | Perseverance | United Kingdom | 51 | Sunk |
30 January 1918 | HMS Wellholme | Royal Navy | 113 | Sunk |
14 March 1918 | A. A. Raven | United States | 2,459 | Sunk |
21 March 1918 | Begonia | United Kingdom | 3,070 | Sunk |
23 March 1918 | Chattahoochee | United States | 8,007 | Sunk |
23 March 1918 | Madame Midas | United Kingdom | 1,203 | Sunk |
23 March 1918 | Mar Baltico | Spain | 2,023 | Sunk |
23 March 1918 | Venborg | Norway | 1,065 | Sunk |
24 March 1918 | Fileur | France | 73 | 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- ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 55". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-55". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
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.