SM UC-19

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-19.

History
German Empire
NameUC-19
Ordered29 August 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number269[1]
Launched15 March 1916[1]
Commissioned21 August 1916[1]
FateDepth charged, 6 December 1916[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 417 t (410 long tons), surfaced
  • 493 t (485 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 7.0 knots (13.0 km/h; 8.1 mph), submerged
Range
  • 9,430 nautical miles (17,460 km; 10,850 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), surfaced
  • 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 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 Flotilla
  • 9 November - 6 December 1916
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Alfred Nitzsche[4]
  • 22 August – 6 December 1916
Operations: 3 patrols
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (3,509 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (275 GRT)

SM UC-19 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 29 August 1915 and was launched on 15 March 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 21 August 1916 as SM UC-19.[Note 1] In three patrols UC-19 was credited with sinking four ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-19 was sunk by depth charges from HMS Leeuwenhoek in the English Channel on 6 December 1916.[1]

Design

Like all pre-UC-25 Type UC II submarines, UC-19 had a displacement of 417 tonnes (410 long tons) when at the surface and 493 tonnes (485 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 49.35 m (161 ft 11 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 250 metric horsepower (180 kW; 250 shp) (a total of 500 metric horsepower (370 kW; 490 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 55 nautical miles (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,430 nautical miles (17,460 km; 10,850 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-19 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

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
24 November 1916 HMT Dhoon  Royal Navy 275 Sunk
1 December 1916 Rene Montrieux  France 234 Sunk
9 January 1917 Fernebo  Sweden 1,440 Sunk
11 January 1917 Ole Bull  Norway 1,835 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. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 19". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alfred Nitzsche". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 19". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

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.