SM UC-73

History
German Empire
Name:	UC-73
Ordered:	12 January 1916[1]
Builder:	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number:	289[1]
Launched:	26 August 1916[1]
Commissioned:	24 December 1916[1]
Fate:	surrendered, January 1919; broken up, 1919–20[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:	2 × propeller shafts; 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 600 PS (440 kW; 590 shp); 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp);
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:	6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes; 18 × UC 200 mines; 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern); 7 × torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun;
Notes:	35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	Pola Flotilla; 6 June 1917 – 11 November 1918;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Kurt Schapler[4]; 24 December 1916 – 26 November 1917; Oblt.z.S. Walter Wiedemann[5]; 27 November 1917 – 29 May 1918; Oblt.z.S. Otto Gerke[6]; 30 May – 14 July 1918; Oblt.z.S. Franz Hagen[7]; 15 July – 2 December 1918;
Operations:	10 patrols
Victories:	16 merchant ships sunk (16,565 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged (5,796 GRT);

SM UC-73[Note 1] 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 26 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 24 December 1916 as SM UC-73. In ten patrols UC-73 was credited with sinking 9 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-73 was surrendered on 6 January 1919 and broken up at Brighton Ferry in 1919–20.[1]

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-73 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-73 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[8]
1 May 1917	Imberhorne	Finland	2,042	Sunk
3 May 1917	Mezly	France	1,568	Sunk
3 May 1917	Misurata	Kingdom of Italy	2,691	Sunk
24 May 1917	Barbara	United States	838	Sunk
26 May 1917	Agragas	Kingdom of Italy	850	Sunk
31 May 1917	Rosebank	United Kingdom	3,837	Sunk
28 August 1917	Saint Joseph	France	5,796	Damaged
7 October 1917	Georgios	Greece	560	Sunk
14 October 1917	Lido G.	Kingdom of Italy	1,003	Sunk
28 December 1917	Dauno	Kingdom of Italy	455	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (1 of 7)	Greece	18	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (2 of 7)	Greece	18	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (3 of 7)	Greece	18	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (4 of 7)	Greece	18	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (5 of 7)	Greece	5	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (6 of 7)	Greece	5	Sunk
29 March 1918	Unidentified sailing vessel (7 of 7)	Greece	5	Sunk
8 July 1918	Horta	Portugal	3,472	Sunk

gollark: Particularly annoying was the demon will thing.

gollark: I am entirely ignoring its mechanics by just sacrificing my own blood while being regenerationed by safety water.

gollark: I find it annoyingly grindy but I needed it for the iridescent altar.

gollark: You should make blood sacrifices to the GTech™ blood storage system™.

gollark: Exciting!

References

Notes

"SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 73". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
Tarrant, p. 173.
Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Schapler". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Wiedemann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Gerke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Hagen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 73". 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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[8] "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

[tonnage-9] Tonnages are in gross register tons

[UC-73-1] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 73". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.

[Tarrant-173-2] Tarrant, p. 173.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199131-32-3] Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.

[4] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Schapler". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

[5] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Wiedemann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

[6] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Gerke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

[7] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Hagen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

[10] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 73". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 March 2015.