SM UB-78

SM UB-78 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 20 October 1917 as SM UB-78.[Note 1] Mined off Dover on 19 April 1918 all 35 crew lost.[3]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-78.
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-78.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-78
Ordered: 23 September 1916[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost: 3,338,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 307
Launched: 2 June 1917[2]
Commissioned: 20 October 1917[2]
Fate: Mined off Dover in position 51°01′N 01°17′E on 19 April 1918 all 35 crew lost.[3]
General characteristics
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 516 t (508 long tons) surfaced
  • 648 t (638 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught: 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced
  • 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,680 nmi (16,080 km; 9,990 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 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
  • 2 January – 18 February 1918
  • Flanders Flotilla
  • 18 February – 19 April 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Woldemar Petri[4]
  • 20 October 1917 – 15 February 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker[5]
  • 16 February – 17 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Arthur Stoßberg[6]
  • 18 March – 19 April 1918
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk (1,241 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged (7,040 GRT)

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 2 June 1917. UB-78 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Woldemar Petri. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-78 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-78 would carry a crew of up to 3 officers and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,680 nautical miles (16,080 km; 9,990 mi). UB-78 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 648 t (638 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.[2]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[7]
21 March 1918 Strathearn  United Kingdom 152 Damaged
22 March 1918 Polleon  United Kingdom 1,155 Sunk
25 March 1918 HMD Border Lads  Royal Navy 86 Sunk
26 March 1918 British Star  United Kingdom 6,888 Damaged
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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. 65.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason 2018
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Woldemar Petri". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Arthur Stoßberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 78". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 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.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur (2018). "UB 78". uboat.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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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