History | |
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Name | UC-6 |
Ordered | November 1914[1] |
Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2] |
Yard number | 50[1] |
Launched | 20 June 1915[1] |
Commissioned | 24 June 1915[1] |
Fate | Sunk by mine, 27 September 1917[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 |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 14 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 89 patrols |
Victories: |
SM UC-6 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 20 June 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 24 June 1915 as SM UC-6.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-6 in her 89 patrols were credited with sinking 55 ships.
Design
[edit]A Type UC I submarine, UC-6 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-6 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-6 sailed from Zeebrugge on 27 September 1917 to lay mines off the Kentish Knock and did not return. She was later reported by British patrols that strong explosions had occurred in explosive nets laid in the area that same day. Other sources, however, state that UC-6 was destroyed by a British seaplane on 28 September 1917.[10]
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[11] |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 August 1915 | HMT Worsley | ![]() |
309 | Sunk |
16 August 1915 | HMT Japan | ![]() |
205 | Sunk |
25 August 1915 | Disa | ![]() |
788 | Sunk |
28 August 1915 | HMT Dane | ![]() |
265 | Sunk |
29 August 1915 | Sir William Stephenson | ![]() |
1,540 | Sunk |
16 September 1915 | Africa | ![]() |
1,038 | Sunk |
18 September 1915 | HMT Lydian | ![]() |
244 | Sunk |
18 September 1915 | San Zeferino | ![]() |
6,430 | Damaged |
20 September 1915 | Horden | ![]() |
1,434 | Sunk |
23 September 1915 | Groningen | ![]() |
988 | Sunk |
24 September 1915 | HMD Great Heart | ![]() |
78 | Sunk |
27 September 1915 | Nigretia | ![]() |
3,187 | Damaged |
5 October 1915 | Alose | ![]() |
214 | Sunk |
18 October 1915 | Aleppo | ![]() |
3,870 | Damaged |
18 October 1915 | Salerno | ![]() |
2,431 | Sunk |
21 October 1915 | Monitoria | ![]() |
1,904 | Sunk |
31 October 1915 | HMY Aries | ![]() |
268 | Sunk |
31 October 1915 | Eidsiva | ![]() |
1,092 | Sunk |
31 October 1915 | HMT Othello II | ![]() |
206 | Sunk |
31 October 1915 | Toward | ![]() |
1,218 | Sunk |
3 November 1915 | Friargate | ![]() |
264 | Sunk |
12 November 1915 | Moorside | ![]() |
311 | Sunk |
12 November 1915 | Nigel | ![]() |
1,400 | Sunk |
12 January 1916 | Traquair | ![]() |
1,067 | Sunk |
12 February 1916 | Leicester | ![]() |
1,001 | Sunk |
21 February 1916 | HMT Carlton | ![]() |
267 | Sunk |
24 February 1916 | Trignac | ![]() |
2,375 | Sunk |
27 February 1916 | Empress of Fort William | ![]() |
2,181 | Sunk |
27 February 1916 | Maloja | ![]() |
12,431 | Sunk |
28 February 1916 | HMT Angelus | ![]() |
304 | Sunk |
28 February 1916 | HMT Weigelia | ![]() |
262 | Sunk |
4 March 1916 | HMT Flicker | ![]() |
192 | Sunk |
23 March 1916 | HMT Corona | ![]() |
212 | Sunk |
23 March 1916 | Sea Serpent | ![]() |
902 | Sunk |
24 March 1916 | Christianssund | ![]() |
1,017 | Sunk |
26 March 1916 | Saint Cecilia | ![]() |
4,411 | Sunk |
7 April 1916 | Halcyon | ![]() |
1,319 | Sunk |
14 April 1916 | Shenandoah | ![]() |
3,886 | Sunk |
21 April 1916 | Estafette | ![]() |
267 | Sunk |
29 April 1916 | Saint Corentin | ![]() |
216 | Sunk |
16 May 1916 | Batavier V | ![]() |
1,569 | Sunk |
26 May 1916 | Volharding | ![]() |
1,000 | Sunk |
1 June 1916 | Excellenz Mehnert | ![]() |
646 | Sunk |
8 June 1916 | HMT Kaphreda | ![]() |
245 | Sunk |
19 June 1916 | Corton Light Vessel | ![]() |
unknown | Sunk |
19 June 1916 | Saint Jacques | ![]() |
72 | Sunk |
21 June 1916 | Otis Tarda | ![]() |
759 | Sunk |
23 June 1916 | Burma | ![]() |
706 | Sunk |
27 June 1916 | Waalstroom | ![]() |
1,441 | Sunk |
29 June 1916 | HMT Hirose | ![]() |
275 | Sunk |
7 July 1916 | Gannet | ![]() |
1,127 | Sunk |
10 July 1916 | Kara | ![]() |
2,338 | Sunk |
3 September 1916 | Mascotte | ![]() |
1,097 | Sunk |
2 October 1916 | HMD Girl Eva | ![]() |
76 | Sunk |
29 December 1916 | Lonada | ![]() |
1,286 | Sunk |
29 December 1916 | HMS Ludlow | ![]() |
810 | Sunk |
29 December 1916 | HMS Totnes | ![]() |
810 | Damaged |
22 February 1917 | Ashtabula | ![]() |
7,025 | Damaged |
31 March 1917 | HMD Forward III | ![]() |
89 | Sunk |
19 April 1917 | Lumina | ![]() |
5,856 | Damaged |
12 May 1917 | Waterville | ![]() |
1,968 | Damaged |
7 June 1917 | HMS Mercury | ![]() |
378 | Damaged |
16 June 1917 | Roald Amundsen | ![]() |
4,390 | Damaged |
18 June 1917 | Dorte Jensen | ![]() |
2,086 | Sunk |
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.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 6". 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: Matthias Graf von Schmettow (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Ehrentraut". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Paul Günther". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Löwe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Gottfried Reichenbach". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC 231973419.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 6". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
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.