SM U-117
![]() SM U-117 at Cape Charles
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History | |
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Name | U-117 |
Builder | AG Vulcan Stettin |
Yard number | 91 |
Laid down | 1917 |
Launched | 10 December 1917 |
Commissioned | 28 March 1918 |
Homeport | Kiel |
Fate |
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Name | U-117 |
Acquired | March 1919 |
Fate | Sunk as a target, 22 June 1921 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Type UE II submarine |
Type | Coastal minelaying submarine |
Displacement | |
Length | 81.52 m (267 ft 5 in) ( o/a ) |
Beam | 7.42 m (24 ft 4 in) |
Height | 10.16 m (33 ft 4 in) |
Draught | 4.22 m (13 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 × 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers |
Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 36 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Commanders: |
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Operations: | 1 patrol |
Victories: |
SM U-117 was a
Service history
Operations off North America
On 11 July, U-117 departed Kiel and took the eastern route through the
U-117 reached the American coastal zone on 8 August 1918, and her fortunes improved soon thereafter. On 10 August, she encountered a fleet of fishing craft and went on a spree, sinking eight of the vessels with explosives and gunfire. On 12 August, she sighted the ballast-laden steamer Sommerstadt and, after observing that the Norwegian steamer was armed, made a submerged attack that sank her with a single torpedo. The following day, the U-boat made another submerged torpedo attack and hit the 7,127 gross register tons (GRT) American tanker Frederic R. Kellogg, bound from Tampico, Mexico, to Boston, Massachusetts, with 7,500 barrels of crude oil. The action occurred only 12 mi (19 km) north of Barnegat Light, New Jersey; however, Frederic R. Kellogg was disabled in such shallow water that the Americans were able to salvage her.
Later that same day, the minelayer submarine began the other half of her duty by laying mines near Barnegat Light. The effort subsequently bore fruit when the
The next day, 15 August 1918, U-117 resumed her mine laying operations off
On 16 August 1918, U-117 resumed her mining operations, this time off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, but the approach of the 6,978 GRT British steamer Mirlo interrupted her labors. Approaching the target submerged, U-117 fired a single torpedo that sent the merchantman to the bottom. Following that attack, the submarine again began laying mines, sowing her fourth and final field. At that point, a severe shortage of fuel forced the U-boat to head for Germany.
Return journey
The return voyage proved to be both more eventful and more successful than the outward-bound cruise. On 17 August 1918, she stopped a Norwegian sailing ship, the 2,846
After an unsuccessful attempt at a torpedo attack on a lone British steamer, War Ranee, on 5 September 1918, U-117 concentrated on making the final run-in toward the Skagerrak and safety. Her critical fuel shortage forced the submarine to make wireless contact with U-140 on 8 September, to set up a fuel replenishment rendezvous. The two U-boats met on 12 and 13 September, near the Faroe Islands, and U-117 took on about 6,000 US gal (23,000 L; 5,000 imp gal) of diesel oil before continuing on toward Kiel. The submarine pulled into her destination rather ignominiously on 22 September, having had to call upon a patrolling torpedo boat to tow her the last leg of her journey.
For the rest of the war, U-117 remained inactive. On 23 October 1918, she was reassigned to the U-Flotille, Hochseeflotte (1st Submarine Flotilla, High Seas Fleet); but remained in a shipyard for the duration.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/SM_U_117_inside.jpg/220px-SM_U_117_inside.jpg)
The armistice of 11 November 1918, ended hostilities, and required Germany to turn over her submarines to the Allies. U-117 surrendered at
After a hectic time preparing for sea, U-117 stood down the
Sinking
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/SM_U_117_Bombing.jpg/300px-SM_U_117_Bombing.jpg)
On 21 June 1921, three Navy
The bombs were dropped in two salvos, one of three bombs and one of nine bombs. Both salvos straddled and fell close to the target, all within 150 ft (46 m) of it, all bombs functioned as designed. The submarine sank within seven minutes after the second salvo. The Board of Observers did not inspect her.
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[2] |
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10 August 1918 | Aleda May | ![]() |
31 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Cruiser | ![]() |
28 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Earl & Nettie | ![]() |
24 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Katie L. Palmer | ![]() |
31 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Mary E. Sennett | ![]() |
26 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Progress | ![]() |
34 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | Reliance | ![]() |
19 | Sunk |
10 August 1918 | William H. Starbuck | ![]() |
53 | Sunk |
12 August 1918 | Sommerstad | ![]() |
3,875 | Sunk |
13 August 1918 | Frederic R. Kellogg | ![]() |
7,127 | Damaged |
14 August 1918 | Dorothy B. Barrett | ![]() |
2,088 | Sunk |
15 August 1918 | Madrugada | ![]() |
1,613 | Sunk |
16 August 1918 | Mirlo | ![]() |
6,978 | Sunk |
17 August 1918 | Nordhav | ![]() |
2,846 | Sunk |
20 August 1918 | Ansaldo III | ![]() |
5,310 | Damaged |
24 August 1918 | Bianca | ![]() |
408 | Damaged |
26 August 1918 | Rush | ![]() |
145 | Sunk |
27 August 1918 | Bergsdalen | ![]() |
2,555 | Sunk |
30 August 1918 | Elsie Porter | ![]() |
136 | Sunk |
30 August 1918 | Potentate | ![]() |
136 | Sunk |
29 September 1918 | USS Minnesota | ![]() |
18,000 | Damaged |
4 October 1918 | San Saba | ![]() |
2,458 | Sunk |
27 October 1918 | Chaparra | ![]() |
1,510 | Sunk |
9 November 1918 | Saetia | ![]() |
2,873 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Gröner 1991, p. 15.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
Bibliography
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- New York Times Report of U-117 sinking the SS Sommerstadt
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Photo gallery of USS U-117 at NavSource Naval History
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016.