History | |
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Name | UC-7 |
Ordered | November 1914[1] |
Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2] |
Yard number | 51[1] |
Launched | 6 July 1915[1] |
Commissioned | 9 July 1915[1] |
Fate | Missing since 5 July 1916[1] |
General characteristics [3] | |
Class and type | Type UC I submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam | 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in) |
Draft | 3.04 m (10 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 14 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: | |
Operations: | 34 patrols |
Victories: |
SM UC-7 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 6 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 9 July 1915 as SM UC-7.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-7 in her 34 patrols were credited with sinking 32 ships.
Design
[edit]A Type UC I submarine, UC-7 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-7 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.[3]
Fate
[edit]UC-7 sailed from Zeebrugge on 3 July 1916 to lay mines off the English coast and failed to return. UB-12 sighted a submarine believed to be UC-7 on 5 July, west of the Bligh Bank, 46 km (29 mi) from Ostend. The submarine in question was reported to be on a course that would run it into a minefield, and Verschollen notes that the time and place would be correct if UC-7 were returning to base. The bodies of two crew members were later washed ashore on the coast of Flanders on 19 July. She was claimed that UC-7 was sunk by HMS Salmon on 7 July off Southwold, but this was doubted since the reported position was too far off UC-7's operating area.[6]
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 September 1915 | HMT Malta | ![]() |
138 | Sunk |
1 September 1915 | HMT Nadine | ![]() |
150 | Sunk |
1 September 1915 | Savona | ![]() |
1,180 | Sunk |
3 September 1915 | Churston | ![]() |
2,470 | Sunk |
22 September 1915 | Koningin Emma | ![]() |
9,181 | Sunk |
26 September 1915 | Vigilant | ![]() |
69 | Sunk |
5 October 1915 | Novocastrian | ![]() |
1,151 | Sunk |
6 October 1915 | Texelstroom | ![]() |
1,601 | Sunk |
28 November 1915 | HMT William Morrison | ![]() |
212 | Sunk |
8 December 1915 | Ignis | ![]() |
2,042 | Sunk |
10 December 1915 | Ingstad | ![]() |
780 | Sunk |
21 December 1915 | Knarsdale | ![]() |
1,641 | Sunk |
31 December 1915 | HMT Speeton | ![]() |
205 | Sunk |
6 February 1916 | Balgownie | ![]() |
1,061 | Sunk |
8 February 1916 | Elswick Manor | ![]() |
3,943 | Damaged |
11 February 1916 | HMS Arethusa | ![]() |
3,520 | Sunk |
26 February 1916 | Dido | ![]() |
4,769 | Sunk |
27 February 1916 | Mecklenburg | ![]() |
2,885 | Sunk |
9 March 1916 | HMS Fauvette | ![]() |
2,644 | Sunk |
18 March 1916 | HMT Ameer | ![]() |
216 | Sunk |
18 March 1916 | Lowlands | ![]() |
1,789 | Sunk |
19 March 1916 | HMT Valpa | ![]() |
230 | Sunk |
24 March 1916 | Fulmar | ![]() |
1,270 | Sunk |
25 March 1916 | HMD Hilary II | ![]() |
78 | Sunk |
26 March 1916 | Cerne | ![]() |
2,579 | Sunk |
2 April 1916 | Bourbaki | ![]() |
2,208 | Damaged |
2 April 1916 | HMT Commandant | ![]() |
207 | Sunk |
9 April 1916 | Avon | ![]() |
1,574 | Sunk |
14 April 1916 | HMT Alberta | ![]() |
209 | Sunk |
14 April 1916 | HMT Orcades | ![]() |
270 | Sunk |
15 April 1916 | Tusnastabb | ![]() |
859 | Sunk |
23 April 1916 | HMT Lena Melling | ![]() |
274 | Sunk |
10 May 1916 | Dolcoath | ![]() |
1,706 | Sunk |
18 June 1916 | Seaconnet | ![]() |
2,294 | Sunk |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "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
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 7". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Wäger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Haag". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC 231973419.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 7". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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.