SM U-36

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SM U-36, photographed in April 1915 from the ship Batavia V
History
German Empire
NameU-36
Ordered29 March 1912
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number196
Laid down2 January 1913
Launched6 June 1914
Commissioned14 November 1914
FateSunk on 24 July 1915 by the Q-ship Prince Charles
General characteristics
Class and typeGerman Type U 31 submarine
Displacement
  • 685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length
  • 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (
    o/a
    )
  • 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) (
    pressure hull
    )
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 × shafts
  • 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed
  • 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph) (surfaced)
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 dinghy
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • II Flotilla
  • Unknown start – 24 July 1915
Commanders:
Operations: 2 patrols
Victories:
  • 14 merchant ships sunk
    (12,674 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships taken as prize
    (3,466 GRT)

SM U-36

commerce war in World War I
.

Construction

U-36 was

Germaniawerft in Kiel. She was launched on 6 June 1914 and commissioned on 14 November 1914, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Ernst Graeff.[2]

During February 1915, she carried out acceptance trials at Kiel,[2] and was attached to the 2d Half-Flotilla in the North Sea in March.[2]

Design

Type 27 subs in dimensions and differed only slightly in propulsion and speed. They were considered very good high sea boats with average manoeuvrability and good surface steering.[3]

U-36 had an

pressure hull was 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) long. The boat's beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a), while the pressure hull measured 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in). Type 31s had a draught of 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in – 26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced a total of 971 tonnes (956 long tons); 685 t (674 long tons) when surfaced and 878 t (864 long tons) when submerged.[3]

U-36 was fitted with two

kW; 1,825 bhp) for use on the surface and two Siemens-Schuckert double-acting electric motors with a total of 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts each with a 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propeller, which gave the boat a top surface speed of 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph), and 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 8,790 nautical miles (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface, and 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) under water. Diving depth was 50 m (164 ft 1 in).[3]

The U-boat was armed with four 50 cm (20 in)

bow and two in the stern, and carried 6 torpedoes. Additionally U-36 was equipped in 1915 with two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck guns
. The boat's complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted.[3]

Service history

SM U-36's movements and operations were monitored and reported by British Naval Intelligence, better known as "Room 40".[2] Her first war patrol was in Heligoland Bight from 29 to 30 March 1915; she reported no sinkings during this time.[2] On 23 April, she returned to Heligoland Bight, apparently from a North Sea patrol.[2][Note 2]

She departed on 29 April, bound again for the North Sea, where she sank the 1,966-ton Danish steamer Lilian Drost on 8 May, captured the 1,241-ton Swedish steamer Björn on 10 May as a prize, while capturing and releasing the 654-ton Dutch steamer Niobe the same day.[2]

U-36 returned to her North Sea station on 17 July. Operating off the north and northwest coast of Scotland, she sank three steamers and almost a dozen smaller vessels. On 22 July, the 3,644-ton

prize rules and sunk, and the 3,819-ton Norwegian Fimreite was sunk as well.[2]

On the day she was sunk, U-36 intercepted and captured the

Pacific
.

Fate

U-36 was sunk in the afternoon of 24 July 1915 in combat off the coast of North Rona in the Outer Hebrides with the British Q-ship[2][Note 3] Prince Charles, commanded by Lieutenant Mark Wardlaw, Royal Navy. The submarine had just stopped and boarded the Danish vessel SS Luise and a boarding party was in the process of dumping her cargo when a lookout sighted an approaching steamer. U-36 sailed towards the disguised Prince Charles and ordered her to stop while firing at her. The Q-ship complied, swinging out her boats. The unsuspecting submarine came within about 600 m (660 yd) of the ship when Prince Charles hoisted the British flag of war and commenced firing. Taken completely by surprise, U-36 took several direct hits and heavy damage, and sank. When Luise moved to pick up the survivors floating in the water, Prince Charles fired into her, believing her to be a German resupply vessel. Forty-five minutes after U-36 sank, the remaining survivors were picked up by the Q-ship. Kptlt. Graeff and 15 crewmen were saved, but 18 others were lost. U-36 was the first U-boat sunk by Q-ship, and one of only a handful to fall victim. Lieutenant Wardlaw received a Distinguished Service Order for the action, and two of his crew received Distinguished Service Medals. The merchant crew of the Q-ship was awarded a prize sum of £1,000, to be divided amongst themselves.[5]

Summary of raiding history

SMS Seeadler
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 4] Fate[6]
8 May 1915 Lilian Drost[2]  Denmark 1,966 Sunk
10 May 1915 Björn[2]  Sweden 1,241 Captured as prize
10 May 1915 Niobe[2]  Netherlands 654 Captured as prize
19 July 1915 Nordlyset[2]  Norway 82 Sunk
22 July 1915 King Athelstan[2]  United Kingdom 159 Sunk
22 July 1915 Rubonia[2]  Russian Empire 3,644 Sunk
22 July 1915 Star Of Peace[2]  United Kingdom 180 Sunk
23 July 1915 Danae[2]  France 1,505 Sunk
23 July 1915 Fimreite[2]  Norway 3,819 Sunk
23 July 1915 Hermione[2]  United Kingdom 210 Sunk
23 July 1915 Honoria[2]  United Kingdom 207 Sunk
23 July 1915 Sutton[2]  United Kingdom 332 Sunk
24 July 1915 Anglia[2]  United Kingdom 107 Sunk
24 July 1915 Cassio[2]  United Kingdom 172 Sunk
24 July 1915 Pass Of Balmaha[2]  United States 1,571 Captured as a prize
24 July 1915 Roslin[2]  United Kingdom 128 Sunk
24 July 1915 Strathmore[2]  United Kingdom 163 Sunk

See also

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. ^ The British called them "cruises".
  3. ^ She is described as an "armed collier" in the original document.
  4. gross register tons

Citiations

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Graeff". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Birch and Clarke. Contribution to the History of German Naval Warfare, 1914-1918: volume two, The Fleet in Being, written by Birch and Clarke. The National Archives, Kew: HW 7/3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 6.
  4. ISBN 1592286941
    .
  5. ^ Chatterton, E. Keble (1922). "Chapter II: The Beginning of Success". Q-ships and their story. London: Sidgwick and Jackson, Ltd. pp. 13–16.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 36". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 January 2015.

Bibliography

External links

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