SM UB-109

SM UB-109 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 31 December 1917 as SM UB-109.[Note 1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-109.
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-109.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-109
Ordered: 6/8 February 1917[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost: 3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 316
Launched: 7 July 1917[2]
Commissioned: 31 December 1917[2]
Fate: sunk by mine on 29 August 1918 at 51°3′N 1°44′E[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 510 t (500 long tons) surfaced
  • 629 t (619 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • Flanders Flotilla
  • 30 March – 29 August 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Kurt Ramien[3]
  • 31 December 1917 – 29 August 1918
Operations: 3 patrols
Victories: 7 merchant ships sunk (14,092 GRT)

UB-109 was sunk by mine in the English Channel on 29 August 1918[2] and underwater scanning of the area covered by the Dover Barrage shows her wreck broken in half.[4]

Construction
Main article: German Type UB III submarine

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 7 July 1917. UB-109 was commissioned later the same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Kurt Ramien. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-109 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-109 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-109 had a displacement of 510 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 629 t (619 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
9 April 1918 President Leroy-lallier  France 1,320 Sunk
10 April 1918 Henley  United Kingdom 3,249 Sunk
13 April 1918 Wilson  United Kingdom 110 Sunk
18 April 1918 Runswick  United Kingdom 3,060 Sunk
19 August 1918 Zinal  United Kingdom 4,037 Sunk
25 August 1918 Pontet Canet  France 1,183 Sunk
26 August 1918 Helge  Sweden 1,133 Sunk
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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.
  2. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations
  1. Rössler 1979, p. 66.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Ramien (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  4. "The Maritime Archaeology of the Dover Barrage". Wessex archaeology on line. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 109". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

Bibliography
  • Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.
  • Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 - 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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