SM UC-4

SM UC-4 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 6 June 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 10 June 1915 as SM UC-4.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-4 in her 73 patrols were credited with sinking 36 ships. UC-4 was scuttled off the coast of Flanders during the German evacuation on 5 October 1918.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-4.

History
German Empire
Name:	UC-4
Ordered:	by November 1914[1]
Builder:	AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number:	48[1]
Launched:	6 June 1915[1]
Commissioned:	10 June 1915[1]
Fate:	scuttled off Flanders, 5 October 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type:	German Type UC I submarine
Displacement:	168 t (165 long tons), surfaced 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length:	33.99 m (111 ft 6 in) o/a 29.62 m (97 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam:	3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft:	3.04 m (10 ft)
Propulsion:	1 × propeller shaft 1 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine, 90 PS (66 kW; 89 bhp) 1 × electric motor, 175 PS (129 kW; 173 shp)
Speed:	6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph), surfaced 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph), submerged
Range:	780 nmi (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	50 m (160 ft)
Complement:	14
Armament:	6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes 12 × UC 120 mines 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy: Baltic Flotilla 11 July 1915 – 4 February 1916 Flandern Flotilla 4 February – 19 March 1916 Baltic Flotilla 19 March – 30 September 1916 Flandern Flotilla 30 September 1916 – 2 October 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Karl Vesper[4] 10 June – 28 December 1915 Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Moecke[5] 29 December 1915 – 19 March 1916 Oblt.z.S. Max Hamm[6] 19 March – 15 August 1916 Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker[7] 16 August – 14 September 1916 Oblt.z.S. Gustav Buch[8] 15 September – 20 October 1916 Oblt.z.S. Hans Howaldt[9] 21 October – 26 November 1916 Oblt.z.S. Georg Reimarus[10] 27 November 1916 – 11 March 1917 Lt.z.S. Oskar Steckelberg[11] 12–20 May 1917 Oblt.z.S. Georg Reimarus 21–29 May 1917 Oblt.z.S. Erich Hecht[12] 30 May – 12 September 1917 Oblt.z.S. Walter Schmitz[13] 13 September 1917 – 19 January 1918 Oblt.z.S. Kurt Loch[14] 20 January – 26 February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Ernst Berlin[15] 27 February – 21 April 1918 Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Schmidt[16] 22 April – 2 October 1918
Operations:	73 patrols
Victories:	21 merchant ships sunk (33,518 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (9,441 GRT) 15 warships sunk (11,270 tons)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-4 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-4 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]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 2]	Fate[17]
15 August 1915	Ladoga	Imperial Russian Navy	6,136	Sunk
16 August 1915	Linnea (n-1)	Imperial Russian Navy	739	Sunk
12 February 1916	Aduatiek	Belgium	2,221	Sunk
12 February 1916	Cedarwood	United Kingdom	654	Sunk
13 February 1916	Tergestea	United Kingdom	4,308	Sunk
29 February 1916	Den of Ogil	United Kingdom	5,689	Damaged
27 October 1916	Bygdo	Norway	2,345	Sunk
28 October 1916	Sparta	United Kingdom	480	Sunk
9 November 1916	Sunniside	United Kingdom	447	Sunk
25 November 1916	HMT Burnley	Royal Navy	275	Sunk
3 December 1916	HMT Remarko	Royal Navy	245	Sunk
5 December 1916	HMT Tervani	Royal Navy	457	Sunk
7 January 1917	HMT Donside	Royal Navy	182	Sunk
18 January 1917	Dagmar	Denmark	758	Sunk
20 January 1917	HMT New Comet	Royal Navy	177	Sunk
13 February 1917	HMT Sisters Melville	Royal Navy	260	Sunk
23 February 1917	Grenadier	United Kingdom	1,004	Sunk
11 March 1917	Kwasind	United Kingdom	2,211	Sunk
12 March 1917	Ambient	United Kingdom	1,517	Sunk
12 March 1917	Pontypridd	United Kingdom	1,556	Sunk
3 June 1917	Giralda	United Kingdom	46	Sunk
4 July 1917	Chrysolite	United Kingdom	57	Sunk
7 July 1917	HMT Kelvin	Royal Navy	322	Sunk
20 July 1917	HMS Queen of the North	Royal Navy	594	Sunk
5 September 1917	HMT Eros	Royal Navy	286	Sunk
20 October 1917	HMT Vitality	Royal Navy	202	Sunk
11 November 1917	Lapwing	United Kingdom	1,192	Sunk
13 November 1917	Axminster	United Kingdom	1,905	Sunk
23 December 1917	Grantley Hall	United Kingdom	4,008	Sunk
25 February 1918	Rubio	United Kingdom	2,395	Sunk
26 February 1918	Berwen	United Kingdom	3,752	Damaged
5 March 1918	Coalgas	United Kingdom	2,257	Sunk
5 March 1918	Estrella	United Kingdom	1,740	Sunk
5 March 1918	Tusnastabb	Norway	1,136	Sunk
12 April 1918	Lonhelen	United Kingdom	1,281	Sunk
20 April 1918	HMT Numitor	Royal Navy	242	Sunk
25 April 1918	HMS St. Seiriol	Royal Navy	928	Sunk
26 June 1918	HMT Achilles II	Royal Navy	225	Sunk

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. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 4". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
2. Tarrant, p. 173.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 30-31.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karl Vesper (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Friedrich Moecke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Max Hamm". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Gustav Buch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Howaldt (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Reimarus". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Oskar Steckelberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erich Hecht". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
13. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Schmitz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
14. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Loch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
15. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Berlin". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
16. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Eberhard Schmidt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
17. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 4". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

Bibliography

• 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.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.
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
• Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.