A Type UB II submarine, ‘’UB-18’’ had a displacement of 263 tonnes (259 long tons) when at the surface and 292 tonnes (287 long tons) while submerged. They had a length overall of 36.13 m (118 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.54 m (14 ft 11 in), and a draught of 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in). The submarine was powered by two Daimler six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 142 metric horsepower (104 kW; 140 shp) (a total of 284 metric horsepower (209 kW; 280 shp)), two Siemens-Schuckertelectric motors producing 280 metric horsepower (210 kW; 280 shp), and one propeller shaft. She had a dive time of 45 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.15 knots (16.95 km/h; 10.53 mph) and a submerged speed of 5.81 knots (10.76 km/h; 6.69 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced she could travel 6,650 nautical miles (12,320 km; 7,650 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UB-18 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes in the bow, four torpedoes, and one 5 cm (2.0 in) Tk L/40 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-three crew members.[2]
Service history
Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Franz Wäger took command of UB-18 upon commissioning on 11 December 1915. Wäger handed over command to Oblt.z.S. Otto Steinbrinck,[Note 2] who sailed her to Zeebrugge, arriving on 16 February, the first U-boat of the type to be based there.[4]
1st War Patrol
At the end of February 1916, UB-18 left Zeebrugge for the approaches to Le Havre. On 26 February she launched a torpedo hitting the French steamer SS Charbutier, whose sinking was not observed. The attack on the French auxiliary minesweeper Au Revoir was more successful, sinking the 20-year-old ship of 1,058 GRT, killing 18 crew members. UB-18 returned to base arriving there 29 February 1916.[4]
2nd War Patrol
On 4 March 1916 UB-18 provided flank cover for a German fleet sortie against the English east coast.[4]
3rd War Patrol
From 7–11 March 1916, UB-18 operated against Allied shipping off Boulogne and Le Havre. On 8 March, she sunk a British steamer, SS Harmatris, and the following day, a Norwegian freighter, the Silius, and a French steamer, SS Louisane, fell victims to UB-18's torpedoes.[4]
4th War Patrol
On 21 March 1916, UB-18 left Zeebrugge again for the Le Havre area, where she successfully attacked ships lying in the roads. Two ships, the British freighter SS Kelvinbank, and the Norwegian steamer SS Kannik were hit by torpedoes and sank. The two reloads did not show any hits. UB-18 returned to Zeebrugge, arriving on 29 March 1916.
That day, the Flanders Flotilla was formed, and Steinbrinck was awarded the coveted Pour le Mérite order.[5]
Loss
Sailing on her last patrol, she was seen off Start Point, Devon by SM U-84 on 4 December 1917, bound for the Western Approaches. Early on the morning of 9 December she inadvertently surfaced close to the trawler Ben Lawer, which was escorting a coal convoy. The trawler immediately rammed her just aft of the conning tower, sinking her; there were no survivors. The impact was substantial, with the Ben Lawer so badly damaged that she only just made port.[6]
^"SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
^Steinbrinck was the most successful of the Flanders U-boat commanders. After the war he joined the Flick group and became a leading industrialist. In 1933 he joined the Freundeskreis Reichsführer SS. He was indicted in the Flick Trial at Nuremberg in 1947 and found guilty of membership in a criminal organisation.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: Most Successful U-boats". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
