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History
German Empire
Name	UC-52
Ordered	12 January 1916
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	268
Launched	23 January 1917
Commissioned	15 March 1917
Fate	Surrendered, 16 January 1919; broken up
General characteristics
Class and type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	434 t (427 long tons), surfaced; 511 t (503 long tons), submerged;
Length	52.69 m (172 ft 10 in) o/a; 40.96 m (134 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Beam	5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a; 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull;
Draught	3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts; 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 580–600 PS (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp); 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp);
Speed	11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph), surfaced; 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged;
Range	8,820–9,450 nmi (16,330–17,500 km; 10,150–10,870 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced; 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	26
Armament	6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes; 18 × UC 200 mines; 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern); 7 × torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun;
Notes	30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla; 8 July 1917 – 11 November 1918;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Ludwig Karl Sahl; 15 March – 27 September 1917; Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Doemming; 28 September 1917 – 17 July 1918; Oblt.z.S. Carl Heinrich Saß; 18 July – 11 November 1918;
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	17 merchant ships sunk ; (17,217 GRT); 1 auxiliary warship sunk ; (1,013 GRT); 4 merchant ships damaged ; (13,580 GRT);

SM UC-52 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 23 January 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 March 1917 as SM UC-52.^{[Note 1]} In seven patrols UC-52 was credited with sinking 18 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. She notably sank the Italian troopship Verona, killing 880 soldiers. UC-52 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Morecambe.^[1]

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-52 had a displacement of 434 tonnes (427 long tons) when at the surface and 511 tonnes (503 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 52.69 m (172 ft 10 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 290–300 metric horsepower (210–220 kW; 290–300 shp) (a total of 580–600 metric horsepower (430–440 kW; 570–590 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 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,820 to 9,450 nautical miles (16,330 to 17,500 km; 10,150 to 10,870 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-52 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^[7]
13 September 1917	Arlequin	Tunisia	6	Sunk
13 September 1917	Chere Rose	Tunisia	28	Sunk
13 September 1917	Ortigia	Tunisia	17	Sunk
13 September 1917	Vittoria	Tunisia	24	Sunk
18 September 1917	Cachalot	Tunisia	17	Sunk
31 March 1918	San Nicola	United Kingdom	24	Sunk
6 April 1918	Madonna delle Grazie B.	Kingdom of Italy	105	Sunk
9 April 1918	Sunik	United Kingdom	5,017	Damaged
10 April 1918	Airedale	United Kingdom	3,044	Damaged
11 May 1918	Gigilla	Kingdom of Italy	120	Sunk
11 May 1918	Verona	Kingdom of Italy	8,261	Sunk
14 May 1918	Woolston	United Kingdom	2,986	Sunk
17 May 1918	Pietro Brizzolari	Kingdom of Italy	445	Sunk
18 May 1918	HMS Chesterfield	Royal Navy	1,013	Sunk
18 May 1918	Ninetta	Kingdom of Italy	17	Sunk
22 June 1918	Metamorphosis	Greece	130	Sunk
24 June 1918	Maria	Greece	25	Sunk
24 June 1918	Sofia	Greece	24	Sunk
4 July 1918	Cordova	Kingdom of Italy	4,933	Sunk
7 July 1918	Vergine Di Lourdes	Kingdom of Italy	55	Sunk
7 July 1918	Stalheim	Norway	1,469	Damaged
23 October 1918	Ischia	Kingdom of Italy	4,050	Damaged

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

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
^ Tarrant, p. 173.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ludwig Karl Sahl". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hellmuth von Doemming". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Carl Heinrich Saß". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 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.