SM UC-75 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 and was launched on 6 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 6 December 1916 as SM UC-75.[Note 1] In 13 patrols UC-75 was credited with sinking 59 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-75 rammed and sunk by HMS Fairy on 31 May 1918[1] with 17 dead and 14 survivors. HMS Fairy had sustained heavy damage and sank a short time later.
Design
A Type UC II submarine, UC-75 had a displacement of 410 tonnes (400 long tons) when at the surface and 493 tonnes (485 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.45 m (165 ft 6 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 290–300 metric horsepower (210–220 kW; 290–300 shp) (a total of 580–600 metric horsepower (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 30 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,660 to 10,230 nautical miles (16,040 to 18,950 km; 9,970 to 11,770 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-75 was fitted with six 100-centimetre (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50-centimetre (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 1917 | Industria |  United Kingdom
|
133 | Sunk |
| 25 March 1917 | Marshall |  Norway
|
1,123 | Sunk |
| 25 March 1917 | Median | United Kingdom
|
214 | Sunk |
| 25 March 1917 | Rosslyn | United Kingdom
|
113 | Sunk |
| 28 March 1917 | Expedient | United Kingdom
|
145 | Sunk |
| 29 March 1917 | Schaldis |  Belgium
|
1,241 | Sunk |
| 1 May 1917 | Alide |  Russian Empire
|
175 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Carberry King | United Kingdom
|
31 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Eleanor | United Kingdom
|
31 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Fastnet | United Kingdom
|
31 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Hibernia | United Kingdom
|
21 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Lucky Lass | United Kingdom
|
10 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | North Star | United Kingdom
|
15 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1917 | Sir Edward Birkbeck | United Kingdom
|
23 | Sunk |
| 4 May 1917 | Marie |  France
|
133 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1917 | HMS Lavender |  Royal Navy
|
1,200 | Sunk |
| 6 May 1917 | President | France
|
354 | Sunk |
| 15 May 1917 | Polymnia | United Kingdom
|
2,426 | Sunk |
| 7 June 1917 | Wilhelm | United Kingdom
|
187 | Sunk |
| 11 June 1917 | Anglian | United Kingdom
|
5,532 | Sunk |
| 12 June 1917 | HMS Prize | Royal Navy
|
199 | Damaged |
| 18 June 1917 | Kathlamba | United Kingdom
|
6,382 | Damaged |
| 19 June 1917 | Kelso | United Kingdom
|
1,292 | Sunk |
| 20 June 1917 | Benita | United Kingdom
|
130 | Sunk |
| 20 June 1917 | Bidartaise | France
|
123 | Sunk |
| 29 July 1917 | Saint Marcouf | France
|
1,117 | Sunk |
| 1 August 1917 | Karina | United Kingdom
|
4,222 | Sunk |
| 3 August 1917 | Beechpark | United Kingdom
|
4,763 | Sunk |
| 3 August 1917 | HMS Mary B. Mitchell | Royal Navy
|
227 | Damaged |
| 25 August 1917 | Cymrian | United Kingdom
|
1,014 | Sunk |
| 29 August 1917 | Cooroy | United Kingdom
|
2,470 | Sunk |
| 29 August 1917 | Lynburn | United Kingdom
|
587 | Sunk |
| 28 September 1917 | William Middleton | United Kingdom
|
2,543 | Damaged |
| 9 October 1917 | Main | United Kingdom
|
715 | Sunk |
| 12 October 1917 | W. M. Barkley | United Kingdom
|
569 | Sunk |
| 13 October 1917 | Eskmere | United Kingdom
|
2,293 | Sunk |
| 19 October 1917 | Hazelwood | United Kingdom
|
3,120 | Sunk |
| 3 November 1917 | HMD Deliverer | Royal Navy
|
79 | Sunk |
| 3 November 1917 | Atlantian | United Kingdom
|
9,399 | Damaged |
| 4 November 1917 | Longwy | France
|
2,315 | Sunk |
| 8 November 1917 | The Marquis | United Kingdom
|
373 | Sunk |
| 1 December 1917 | Euphorbia | United Kingdom
|
3,109 | Sunk |
| 1 December 1917 | Rydal Hall | United Kingdom
|
3,314 | Sunk |
| 4 December 1917 | Milton | United Kingdom
|
3,267 | Damaged |
| 7 December 1917 | Earl Of Elgin | United Kingdom
|
4,448 | Sunk |
| 28 December 1917 | Alfred H. Read | United Kingdom
|
457 | Sunk |
| 28 December 1917 | Chirripo | United Kingdom
|
4,050 | Sunk |
| 3 January 1918 | Asborg | Norway
|
2,750 | Sunk |
| 4 January 1918 | Day Spring | United Kingdom
|
39 | Sunk |
| 4 January 1918 | Gratitude | United Kingdom
|
40 | Sunk |
| 4 January 1918 | Varuna | United Kingdom
|
40 | Sunk |
| 5 January 1918 | Iolanthe | United Kingdom
|
3,081 | Sunk |
| 6 January 1918 | Arca | United Kingdom
|
4,839 | Damaged |
| 7 January 1918 | Gascony | United Kingdom
|
3,133 | Sunk |
| 7 January 1918 | Leon | France
|
2,401 | Sunk |
| 5 March 1918 | Edouard Marie | Belgium
|
32 | Sunk |
| 9 March 1918 | Marguerite | United Kingdom
|
10 | Sunk |
| 10 March 1918 | Sunrise | United Kingdom
|
56 | Sunk |
| 10 March 1918 | Wave | United Kingdom
|
47 | Sunk |
| 13 March 1918 | Arno Mendi |  Spain
|
2,827 | Sunk |
| 14 March 1918 | Tweed | United Kingdom
|
1,777 | Sunk |
| 17 March 1918 | Eliza Anne | United Kingdom
|
36 | Sunk |
| 18 March 1918 | Navigator | United Kingdom
|
3,803 | Damaged |
| 28 March 1918 | Dryden | United Kingdom
|
5,839 | Damaged |
| 16 April 1918 | Hungerford | United Kingdom
|
5,811 | Sunk |
| 19 April 1918 | War Helmet | United Kingdom
|
8,184 | Sunk |
| 12 May 1918 | Benlawers | United Kingdom
|
3,949 | Damaged |
| 29 May 1918 | HMT Dirk | Royal Navy
|
181 | Sunk |
| 31 May 1918 | HMS Fairy | Royal Navy
|
355 | Sunk |
References
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.
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 75". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Oberleutnant zur See Walter Eduard Alexander Schmitz died March 1919 as a POW in Skipton (GB) and was buried at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery (Plot 14, Row 9, Grave 259).
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 75". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
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. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (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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