SM UB-72

SM UB-72 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 9 September 1917 as SM UB-72.[Note 1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-72.
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-72.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-72
Ordered: 23 September 1916[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost: 3,337,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 96
Launched: 30 July 1917[2]
Commissioned: 9 September 1917[2]
Fate: Sunk 12 May 1918 at 50°8′N 2°41′W by British submarine.[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 508 t (500 long tons) surfaced
  • 639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 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:
  • V Flotilla
  • 28 October 1916 – 25 April 1917
  • II Flotilla
  • 25 April 1917 – 12 May 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Walter Creutzfeld[3]
  • 9 September 1917 – 1 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Traeger[4]
  • 2 March – 12 May 1918
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 5 merchant ships sunk (10,551 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ships damaged (3,358 GRT)

UB-72 was serving in the English Channel when she was sunk by a torpedo from HMS D4 at 50°8′N 2°41′W on 12 May 1918.[2]

Construction
Main article: German Type UB III submarine

She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 30 July 1917. UB-72 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-72 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-72 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-72 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.


Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
3 February 1918 Svanfos  Norway 896 Sunk
28 March 1918 HMS Tithonus  Royal Navy 3,463 Sunk
30 March 1918 Vafos  Norway 1,322 Sunk
6 May 1918 Sandhurst  United Kingdom 3,034 Sunk
8 May 1918 Quito  United Kingdom 3,358 Damaged
9 May 1918 Baron Ailsa  United Kingdom 1,836 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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Rössler 1979, p. 61.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Creutzfeld". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Friedrich Traeger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 72". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 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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