SM UC-72

SM UC-72 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 12 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 December 1916 as SM UC-72.[Note 1] In eight patrols UC-72 was credited with sinking 38 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-72 disappeared after 21 August 1917.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-72.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-72
Ordered: 12 January 1916[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 288[1]
Launched: 12 August 1916[1]
Commissioned: 5 December 1916[1]
Fate: mined in August 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length:
  • 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 40.30 m (132 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
Notes: 35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 17 February – 25 August 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst Voigt[4]
  • 5 December 1916 – 25 August 1917
Operations: 8 patrols
Victories:
  • 41 merchant ships sunk (58,921 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ship damaged (1,529 GRT)

The wreck of UC-72 was identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney off Dover in 2013.[5] The wreck seems to have fallen victim to a mine while inbound from patrol.

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-72 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 508 tonnes (500 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,420 nautical miles (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-72 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[6]
13 March 1917 Reward  United Kingdom 172 Sunk
24 March 1917 HMT Kings Grey  Royal Navy 338 Damaged
1 April 1917 Eastern Belle  United Kingdom 97 Sunk
26 April 1917 Plantin  United Kingdom 84 Sunk
27 April 1917 Good Hope  United Kingdom 89 Sunk
29 April 1917 Bayonnais  France 20 Sunk
29 April 1917 Eugenie Et Lucie  France 34 Sunk
29 April 1917 Frere Des Cinq Soeurs  France 20 Sunk
29 April 1917 Petit Ernest  France 20 Sunk
1 May 1917 Acacia  France 9 Sunk
1 May 1917 Antigone  France 15 Sunk
1 May 1917 Camille Amelie  France 21 Sunk
2 May 1917 Cancalais  France 231 Sunk
2 May 1917 Keryado  France 175 Sunk
2 May 1917 Victoire  France 290 Sunk
2 May 1917 Russie  France 127 Sunk
2 May 1917 Yvonne  France 97 Sunk
4 May 1917 Mamelena IX  Spain 115 Sunk
4 May 1917 Mamelena XII  Spain 111 Sunk
4 May 1917 Marne II  France 250 Sunk
4 May 1917 Verdun  France 250 Sunk
5 May 1917 Nydal  Norway 1,809 Sunk
6 May 1917 Francesco  Kingdom of Italy 3,438 Sunk
28 May 1917 Detlef Wagner  United Kingdom 225 Sunk
2 June 1917 Ereaga  Spain 2,233 Sunk
2 June 1917 Skarpsno  Norway 1,766 Sunk
2 June 1917 St. Sunniva  Norway 1,140 Sunk
3 June 1917 Rosario  Uruguay 1,565 Sunk
6 June 1917 Saint Eloi  France 1,993 Sunk
8 June 1917 Sequana  French Navy 5,557 Sunk
3 July 1917 Henrik  Norway 3,928 Sunk
7 July 1917 Massapequa  United States 3,193 Sunk
8 July 1917 Cambronne  France 1,863 Sunk
8 July 1917 M. I. Mandal  Denmark 1,886 Sunk
8 July 1917 Mary W. Bowen  United States 2,153 Sunk
9 July 1917 Ceres  France 296 Sunk
11 July 1917 Anglo-Patagonian  United Kingdom 5,017 Sunk
15 July 1917 Trelissick  United Kingdom 4,168 Sunk
16 August 1917 Delphic  United Kingdom 8,273 Sunk
17 August 1917 Meuse II  France 5,270 Sunk
19 August 1917 Penshurst  Royal Navy 1,191 Damaged
21 August 1917 HS 4  United Kingdom 121 Sunk
21 August 1917 RB 6  United Kingdom 800 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. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 72". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Voigt (Royal House order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  5. "The Identification of UC72".
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 72". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

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.
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