SM UB-63
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-63 .
History
German Empire
Name UB-63
Ordered 20 May 1916
Builder AG Vulcan , Hamburg
Cost 3,279,000 German Papiermark
Yard number 88
Launched 26 May 1917
Commissioned 23 July 1917
Fate Sunk 28 January 1918 by British warships at 56°10′N 2°0′E / 56.167°N 2.000°E / 56.167; 2.000
General characteristics
Class and type Type UB III submarine
Displacement
508 t (500 long tons ) surfaced
639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a )
Beam 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
Speed
13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range
8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 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 depth 50 m (160 ft)
Complement 3 officers, 31 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
II Flotilla
4 – 30 September 1917
V Flotilla
30 September 1917 – 28 January 1918
Commanders:
Kptlt. Rudolf Gebeschus[ 3]
23 July 1917 – 28 January 1918
Operations:
3 patrols Victories:
2 merchant ships sunk (4,481 GRT )
1 merchant ship damaged (1,113 GRT )
1 merchant ship taken as prize (3,290 GRT )
SM UB-63 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 German Imperial Navy on 23 July 1917 as SM UB-63 .[ Note 1]
UB-63 was sunk on 28 January 1918 by British warships HMS W.S. Bailey and HMS Fort George at 56°10′N 2°0′E / 56.167°N 2.000°E / 56.167; 2.000 with depth charges. All 33 crew members perished in the attack.
Construction
UB-63 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916.
She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 26 May 1917. UB-63 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-63 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun . UB-63 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-63 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
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 .
^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Rudolf Gebeschus" . German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net . Retrieved 4 February 2015 .
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 63" . German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net . Retrieved 4 February 2015 .
Bibliography
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 .
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1918
Shipwrecks
4 Jan: HMHS Rewa , Racoon
5 Jan: War Baron
9 Jan: SM UB-69
12 Jan: HMS Narborough , HMS Opal
14 Jan: HMS G8
19 Jan: HMS H10 , SM UB-22
20 Jan: HMS M28 , Midilli , HMS Raglan , Warspite
21 Jan: HMS Louvain
24 Jan: Corse
25 Jan: Normandy
26 Jan: USS Guinevere , SM U-84 , SM UB-35 , SS Cork
27 Jan: Andania
28 Jan: HMS E14 , HMS Hazard , SM U-109
31 Jan: HMS K4 , HMS K17
Unknown date: SM U-93 , SM U-95 , SM UB-63 , SM UB-66
Other incidents