SM U-135

SM U-135[Note 1] was a German Type U 127 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-135.
SM U-135 at sea, 1917
History
German Empire
Name: SM U-135
Ordered: 27 May 1916[1]
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft Danzig[1]
Laid down: 4 November 1916[1]
Launched: 8 September 1917[1]
Commissioned: 20 June 1918[1]
Fate:
  • Surrendered, 20 November 1918
  • Scuttled in 1921[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type U 127 submarine
Displacement:
  • 1,175 t (1,156 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,534 t (1,510 long tons) submerged
Length:
  • 83.50 m (273 ft 11 in) o/a
  • 65.75 m (215 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:
  • 7.54 m (24 ft 9 in) o/a
  • 4.85 m (15 ft 11 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.46 m (31 ft)
Draught: 4.26 m (14 ft 0 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × MAN diesel engines, 3,353 bhp (2,500 kW) total
  • 2 × diesel generators for surface dash, 888 brake horsepower (662 kW) total
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,667 shp (1,243 kW) total
Propulsion: 2 × propeller shafts
Speed:
  • 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth: 75 m (246 ft)
Complement: 44 men
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • unknown start – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Johannes Spieß[3]
  • 20 June – 11 November 1918
Operations: None
Victories: None

History

Built at the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, the U-boat was laid down on 4 November 1916, launched on 8 September 1917 and commissioned 20 June 1918.

In November 1918, U-135 was ordered to help put down the German Navy mutiny at Wilhelmshaven. Along with the 4th Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla, U-135 ended the mutiny aboard two German battleships SMS Thüringen and SMS Helgoland by threatening to torpedo the ships.

U-135 was seen by later submarine designers as an excellent design. She was an inspiration for V-boats USS Cachalot and USS Cuttlefish.

Prior to U-135 being scuttled by the Royal Navy in the early 1920s, her engines and various other items of equipment were stripped by a team of 25 students led by Technical Officer Richard Finney [1888-1953] under the auspices of J. F. Driver from the then Loughborough College. This equipment was reassembled initially in a wooden hut in Packe Street, Loughborough, and later in a purpose built generating station opened in 1937. They were finally taken out of use, and replaced, in 1949.[4]

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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.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 135". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 15-16.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Spieß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. Leonard Cantor, Loughborough University of Technology: Past and Present, 1990, LUT, p.50.

Bibliography
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.


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