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SM UC-69

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-69.
History
German Empire
NameUC-69
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number285[1]
Launched7 August 1916[1]
Commissioned22 December 1916[1]
FateSunk after collision with U-96, 6 December 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range
  • 10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern / Flandern II Flotilla
  • 6 March - 6 December 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Erwin Waßner[4]
  • 23 December 1916 – 8 August 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Hugo Thielmann[5]
  • 9 August – 6 December 1917
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 54 merchant ships sunk
    (99,285 GRT + Unknown GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (16,705 GRT)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (975 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (862 GRT)

SM UC-69 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 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 22 December 1916 as SM UC-69.[Note 1] In nine patrols UC-69 was credited with sinking 54 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-69 was sunk after being accidentally rammed by U-96 near Barfleur on 6 December 1917. The wreck was accidentally discovered in November 2017 by the Dutch naval mine sweeper Zr.Ms. Makkum which was mapping the sea-bed off the French Normandy coast.[1]

Design

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A Type UC II submarine, UC-69 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 508 tonnes (500 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 3.64 m (11 ft 11 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 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 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 10,420 nautical miles (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-69 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 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[6]
12 March 1917 HMS Skate  Royal Navy 975 Damaged
25 March 1917 Huntleys  Vereinigtes Königreich 186 Sunk
25 March 1917 Mary Annie  Vereinigtes Königreich 154 Sunk
26 March 1917 Norma  Schweden 1,443 Sunk
27 March 1917 Aasta  Norwegen 1,146 Sunk
27 March 1917 Grib  Norwegen 1,474 Sunk
27 March 1917 Thracia  Vereinigtes Königreich 2,891 Sunk
28 March 1917 Katina  Griechenland 2,464 Sunk
29 March 1917 Morild I  Norwegen 1,354 Sunk
30 March 1917 Avanguardia  Kingdom of Italy 2,703 Sunk
30 March 1917 Britta  Norwegen 2,061 Sunk
31 March 1917 Farmand  Norwegen 1,387 Sunk
1 May 1917 Barreiro  Portugal 1,738 Sunk
3 May 1917 Maria  Griechenland 2,754 Sunk
3 May 1917 Polstad  Norwegen 2,692 Sunk
4 May 1917 Ilva  Kingdom of Italy 2,140 Sunk
4 May 1917 Ioannis P. Goulandris  Griechenland 3,153 Sunk
4 May 1917 Tromp  Norwegen 2,751 Sunk
6 May 1917 Gurth  Norwegen 1,340 Sunk
6 May 1917 Voss  Norwegen 2,390 Sunk
7 May 1917 Leikanger  Norwegen 3,544 Sunk
7 May 1917 Tiger  Norwegen 3,273 Sunk
22 May 1917 Nann Smith  Norwegen 2,093 Sunk
12 June 1917 Alexandre  Frankreich 697 Sunk
14 June 1917 Hasting  Schweden 983 Sunk
15 June 1917 Addah  Vereinigtes Königreich 4,397 Sunk
16 June 1917 La Tour D’agon  Frankreich 125 Sunk
17 June 1917 Marguerite VI  French Navy 862 Damaged
19 June 1917 Bearn  Frankreich 1,288 Sunk
19 June 1917 Spind  Norwegen 1,174 Sunk
20 June 1917 Katerina  Griechenland 3,092 Sunk
21 June 1917 E. T. Nygaard  Dänemark 1,923 Sunk
24 June 1917 Cabo Verde  Portugal 2,220 Sunk
24 June 1917 Helma  Norwegen 1,131 Sunk
10 July 1917 Kansan  Vereinigte Staaten 7,913 Sunk
20 July 1917 Kageshima Maru  Japan 4,697 Sunk
23 July 1917 Frithjof  Norwegen 1,389 Sunk
24 July 1917 Sir Walter  Vereinigtes Königreich 492 Sunk
25 July 1917 Baldwin  Norwegen 1,130 Sunk
26 July 1917 Bertha  Portugal 107 Sunk
26 July 1917 Locksley  Norwegen 2,487 Sunk
26 July 1917 Venturoso  Portugal 290 Sunk
28 July 1917 Hildur  Norwegen 961 Sunk
29 July 1917 Gyldenpris  Norwegen 2,667 Sunk
10 August 1917 War Patrol  Vereinigtes Königreich 2,045 Sunk
1 September 1917 Erato  Vereinigtes Königreich 2,041 Sunk
2 September 1917 Ker Durand  Frankreich 56 Sunk
2 September 1917 Rytonhall  Vereinigtes Königreich 4,203 Sunk
4 September 1917 Sadi Carnot  Frankreich 354 Sunk
5 September 1917 Alesia  Frankreich 6,006 Damaged
15 September 1917 Sommeina  Vereinigtes Königreich 3,317 Sunk
26 September 1917 Acorn  Vereinigtes Königreich 112 Sunk
26 September 1917 Port Victor  Vereinigtes Königreich 7,280 Damaged
6 October 1917 Lamartine  Frankreich 424 Sunk
6 October 1917 Le Coq  Vereinigtes Königreich 3,419 Damaged
2 November 1917 Farraline  Vereinigtes Königreich 1,226 Sunk
27 November 1917 Gladys  Vereinigtes Königreich 179 Sunk
9 February 1918 Fantoft  Norwegen 1,034 Sunk
19 September 1918 Belliqueux  Frankreich Unknown Sunk

References

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Notes

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  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.
  2. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 69". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erwin Waßner (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hugo Thielmann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 69". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

Bibliography

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  • 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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