SM UB-65
History | |
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German Empire | |
Name | UB-65 |
Ordered | 20 May 1916[2] |
Builder | Vulkan Werke, Hamburg |
Yard number | 90 |
Launched | 26 June 1917[1] |
Commissioned | 18 August 1917[1] |
Fate | Lost to unknown cause off Padstow, Cornwall after 14 July 1918.[3] |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | German Type UB III submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) ( o/a ) |
Beam | 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in) |
Draught | 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[1] |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 6 patrols |
Victories: |
SM UB-65 was a Type UB III U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Ordered on 20 May 1916, the U-boat was built at the Vulkan Werke shipyard in Hamburg, launched on 26 June 1917, and commissioned on 18 August 1917, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Martin Schelle.[5]
Service history
During her active career she sailed on six war patrols, sinking six merchant ships and damaging six more. She also sank the British Anchusa-class sloop HMS Arbutus.[5]
The U-boat was lost off Padstow, Cornwall on or after 14 July 1918 with the loss of all her 37 crew.[5]
Rediscovery
An expedition mounted in 2004 as part of the
Previous beliefs regarding loss
The identification of the Padstow U-boat wreck corrected the earlier accepted version of UB-65's loss. According to official German Naval records the boat was presumed lost following a premature explosion of one of her own torpedoes on 10 July 1918, south of the Irish coast.[1]
According to
RECORD ITEM Y1022 ROLL ONI ROLL
PG 61825 58 TA-17-DAdmiralstab der Marine, Abt. A, KTB, Band 1, U.B.65 der V.U.Flottille und der II. U. Flottille.
Kommandant: Kaptlt. Schelle.
U.B.65 conducted operations in the Irish Sea, the western Hebrides, and St George's Channel.
U.B.65 sank among other vessels an unidentified British armed vessel (probably the sloop HMS Arbutus) on 15 December 1917; the Norwegian steamer "Havana" (1,150 t), 5 March 1918; and the British steamer "Pensilva" (4,316 t), 4 May 1918.
U.B.65 departed from Heligoland 2 July 1918, for war operations and was accidentally sunk on 10 July 1918.
National Archives and Records Service, U.S. General Services Administration, Washington: 1984
Allegations of haunting
UB-65 is the subject of many tales of a
In his book "Tales of Real Haunting", Tony Allan quotes "According to one source, the American officer thought he saw someone on deck just before UB-65 went down. It was a figure in a German officer's overcoat, standing near the bow with folded arms. If this can be believed, Lieutenant Richter may have put in a final appearance".According to researchers George Behe and Michael Goss, the stories about hauntings from UB-65 were invented by the journalist Hector Charles Bywater, who wrote about the subject. They speculated that Bywater was a good story teller who had invented some of his references, such as a post-war pamphlet written by a "Dr. Hecht". Behe and Goss concluded that "Official documents make it extremely difficult to believe that UB-65 was haunted... The responsibility for that rumor-like legend in all its dramatic detail cannot be traced back with any certainty before Hector C. Bywater."[10]
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[11] |
---|---|---|---|---|
31 October 1917 | Margrete | Denmark | 1,277 | Damaged |
12 December 1917 | Bellville | Sweden | 992 | Sunk |
12 December 1917 | Charleston | United Kingdom | 1,866 | Sunk |
14 December 1917 | Nor | Norway | 1,418 | Sunk |
16 December 1917 | HMS Arbutus | Royal Navy | 1,290 | Sunk |
2 March 1918 | Havna | Norway | 1,150 | Sunk |
4 May 1918 | Pensilva | United Kingdom | 4,316 | Damaged |
5 May 1918 | Pandora | United Kingdom | 85 | Damaged |
5 May 1918 | M. J. Hedley | United Kingdom | 449 | Damaged |
8 May 1918 | Elizabetta | United Kingdom | 335 | Damaged |
8 May 1918 | Thoralf | Denmark | 586 | Sunk |
13 May 1918 | Esperanza De Larrinaga | United Kingdom | 4,981 | Damaged |
14 July 1918 | Maria Jose | Portugal | 185 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 60.
- ^ ISBN 978-1138814356.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Martin Schelle". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 65". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ "The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2006". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ Donahue, James. "Haunting of German Submarine U-65". Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ UB-65 - A German submarine Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Digest, Reader's (1975). "Ghost on the prow". Strange Stories, Amazing Facts. Reader's Digest. p. 384.
- ISBN 1-57866-147-1
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-65". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
Bibliography
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB-65". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
- SI 2006/2616 Designation under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986