SM UB-117

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-117.
History
German Empire
NameUB-117
Ordered6 / 8 February 1917[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number323
Launched21 November 1917[2]
Commissioned6 May 1918[2]
FateSurrendered 26 November 1918, broken up in 1919 / 20[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeType UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 519 t (511 long tons) surfaced
  • 649 t (639 long tons) submerged
Length55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Erwin Waßner[3]
  • 6 June – 11 November 1918
Operations: 3 patrols
Victories: 5 merchant ships sunk
(9,342 GRT)

SM UB-117 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 6 May 1918 as SM UB-117.[Note 1]

UB-117 was surrendered to the British on 26 November 1918 and broken up in Felixstowe in 1919 / 20.[2]

Construction

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 21 November 1917. UB-117 was commissioned in the spring the next year under the command of Kptlt. Erwin Waßner. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-117 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun. UB-117 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-117 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
16 September 1918 Acadian  United Kingdom 2,305 Sunk
17 September 1918 Lavernock  United Kingdom 2,406 Sunk
18 September 1918 Buffalo  France 2,359 Sunk
18 September 1918 John O. Scott  United Kingdom 1,235 Sunk
18 September 1918 Primo  United Kingdom 1,037 Sunk

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.
  2. ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. ^ Rössler 1979, p. 66.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
  3. ^ 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 10 March 2015.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

Bibliography