SM UB-8

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-8.

SM UB-8
SM UB-8
History
German Empire
NameUB-8
Ordered15 October 1914[3][4]
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel[5]
Yard number246[2]
Laid down4 December 1914[2]
LaunchedApril 1915[1]
Commissioned23 April 1915[2]
FateSold to Bulgaria, 25 May 1916[2]
Service record as UB-8
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Oblt. Ernst von Voigt
  • 23 May 1915 – 15 May 1916[2]
Operations: 14 patrols[2]
Victories: 1 merchant ship sunk
(19,380 GRT)[2]
Bulgaria
Name
  • Podvodnik No. 18
  • Bulgarian: Подводник №18
Acquiredpurchased 25 May 1916
Commissioned25 May 1916
FateSurrendered to France,
Bizerta
, August 1921
Service record as Podvodnik No. 18
Part of: Bulgarian Navy
Commanders:
  • Nikola Todorov[6]
  • Ivan Variklechkov
General characteristics [7]
Class and typeGerman Type UB I submarine
Displacement
  • 127 t (125 long tons) surfaced
  • 142 t (140 long tons) submerged
Length28.10 m (92 ft 2 in) (
o/a
)
Beam3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft3.03 m (9 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 6.47 knots (11.98 km/h; 7.45 mph) surfaced
  • 5.51 knots (10.20 km/h; 6.34 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,650 nmi (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph)
Test depth50 metres (160 ft)
Complement14
Armament
Notes33-second diving time

SM UB-8 was a German

German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was sold to Bulgaria in 1916 and renamed Podvodnik No. 18 (Bulgarian: Подводник №18), and was the first ever Bulgarian submarine.[6]

UB-8 was ordered in October 1914 and was

commissioned as SM UB-8 in the German Imperial Navy in April when the Austrians opted out of the agreement.[Note 1]

Although briefly a part of the

British Admiralty as a Royal Navy
battlecruiser as part of a decoy operation. In October, she helped repel a Russian bombardment of Bulgaria.

In May 1916, the submarine was transferred to the

Bizerta in August 1921. However, in July 2011 Viceadmiral Manushev, Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, announced that the submarine, discovered in 2010 at the sea bottom near the town of Varna
, is UB-8. Divers discovered manufacturer numbers and according to them the identity is confirmed.

Design and construction

After the

Germaniawerft of Kiel, just shy of two months after planning for the class began.[3][4]

UB-8 was

propeller shaft. Her top speeds were 6.47 knots (11.98 km/h; 7.45 mph), surfaced, and 5.51 knots (10.20 km/h; 6.34 mph), submerged.[5] At more moderate speeds, she could sail up to 1,650 nautical miles
(3,060 km; 1,900 mi) on the surface before refueling, and up to 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) submerged before recharging her batteries. Like all boats of the class, UB-8 was rated to a diving depth of 50 metres (160 ft), and could completely submerge in 33 seconds.

UB-8 was armed with two 45-centimeter (17.7 in) torpedoes in two bow torpedo tubes. She was also outfitted for a single 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine gun on deck. UB-8's standard complement consisted of one officer and thirteen enlisted men.[9]

While UB-8's construction neared completion in early March 1915, Enver Pasha and other Turkish leaders were pleading with their German and Austro-Hungarian allies to send submarines to the Dardanelles to help attack the British and French fleet pounding Turkish positions.[10] The Germans induced the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine or K.u.K. Kriegsmarine) to send two boats—its own Germaniawerft-built boats U-3 and U-4—with the promise of UB-7 and UB-8 as replacements.[11]

When work on UB-7 and UB-8 was complete at the Germaniwerft yard, they were both readied for rail shipment. The process of shipping a UB I boat involved breaking the submarine down into what was essentially a

launched at Pola sometime in April.[1]

German career

During her trials, UB-8 was assigned the Austrian number of U-8 and an Austrian commander.[12][13] Her German crew at Pola—since it was still the intent for UB-8 to be transferred to the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine—wore either civilian clothes or Austrian uniforms.[12] As time dragged on, the Austrian U-3 and U-4 were still not ready,[Note 3] and eventually Admiral Anton Haus, the head of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, reneged on his commitment because of the overt hostility from neighbor and former ally Italy.[10][Note 4]

With the change of heart from the Austrians, Germany resolved to retain UB-8 and send her to the aid of the Turks.

commissioned into the German Imperial Navy as SM UB-8 on 23 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Ernst von Voigt,[2] a 27-year-old first-time U-boat commander.[15] At commissioning, the boat temporarily joined the Pola Flotilla (German: Deutsche U-Halbflotille Pola).[2]

Because of her limited range, UB-8 would not have been able to make the entire journey to Turkey, so on 2 May, she was towed by the Austrian cruiser

Straits of Otranto. The duo continued until spotted by French forces near Kefalonia. UB-8 slipped the tow and Novara raced back into the Adriatic without incident.[14][Note 5] Two days after her departure, UB-8 was running on the surface when the stern of the boat suddenly dropped. The watch officer, on the conning tower with the helmsman and a lookout, was able to partially close the hatch before the entire submarine slipped below the waves, depositing the three men in the water. On board the submarine, water continued to pour in through the hatch and the boat was sinking by the stern. Voigt ordered the interior hatch to the control room sealed and all the ballast tanks filled with compressed air to increase buoyancy. The tactic returned UB-8 to the surface where the boat's diesel engines were restarted. Voigt circled back for the missing crewmen but only the watch officer and helmsman were recovered; the lookout had drowned.[16]

On 29 May 1915, UB-8 came upon an

Admiralty plan to disguise large liners as Royal Navy capital ships.[18][Note 6] Merion, which eventually sank on 31 May, had been outfitted with wood and canvas "guns" and overloaded with cement and stones to approximate the profile of Tiger.[17] There are no reports of any deaths during Merion's sinking.[1][17]

On 4 June, UB-8 became the first submarine in the new Constantinople Flotilla (German: U-boote der Mittelmeer division in Konstantinopel) based in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).[19] Despite German intentions to use her in the Dardanelles, UB-8 was ineffective because she was hampered by her limited torpedo supply and her weak engines, which made negotiating the strong currents there nearly impossible.[20] Because of this, UB-8 was sent to patrol in the Black Sea, where she was active by late July.

On 12 August, UB-8 fired a torpedoe at HMS Manica from 500 yards, which passed under Manica's shallow draught, the submarine was then sighted outside net, two torpedoes fired and missed Manica, which hit the net at an acute angle and burst. An attack two days later on similar vessels was also unsuccessful.

Podvodnik No. 18/Подводник 18

In September, UB-7 and UB-8 were sent to

seaplane carriers Almaz and Imperator Nikolai I began attacks on Varna and the Bulgarian coast on 25 October. UB-7 and UB-8, both based out of Varna by this time, sortied to disrupt the bombardment.[21] UB-8 was never able to launch any attacks, but UB-7 launched a torpedo at the Panteleimon (most well-known under her former name of Potemkin), but it missed.[22] Despite the lack of any success by either submarine, their presence did cause the Russians to break off their attacks and withdraw.[21]

In early 1916, UB-7 and UB-8 were still cruising in the Black Sea out of Varna.[23] The Germans did not have good luck in the Black Sea, which was not a priority for them.[24] The Bulgarians, who saw the value of the submarines in repelling Russian attacks, began negotiations to purchase UB-7 and UB-8.[3] Bulgarian sailors practiced in the pair of boats and technicians were sent to Kiel for training at the German submarine school there.[6][25] The transfer of UB-8 to the Bulgarian Navy took place on 25 May 1916,[6] but for reasons unreported in sources, UB-7 remained under the German flag.[3]

Bulgarian career

A 47 mm from the UB-8 on display at the Naval Museum Varna Bulgaria.

Upon acceptance of UB-8 by the

Prince Kiril, who both boarded the submarine for a ceremonial first voyage to Euxinograd, the Bulgarian summer palace located just north of Varna.[25] In Bulgarian service, the submarine was armed with a 47-millimeter (1.9 in) deck gun that supplemented its machine gun.[25]

Podvodnik No. 18's first patrol under the Bulgarian flag took place on 4 and 5 July 1916 when she sailed to

Constanţa; then southward to Burgas, and Sozopol; then ended at Varna.[6] On 6 September, she had an encounter with the Russian destroyers Bystry and Gromki,[25] drove off Russian submarines on other occasions,[6] and on 16 December helped turn back a Russian sortie against Balchik.[25] After the Russian withdrawal from World War I in 1917, Podvodnik No. 18's activities were greatly reduced.[6]

After the end of the war, Podvodnik No. 18 was surrendered to the French on 23 February 1919. Towed to

Bizerta, she was scrapped after August 1921.[26]

Summary of raiding history

Ships sunk or damaged by SM UB-8[27]
Date Name Nationality Tonnage Fate
29 May 1915 Merion  Royal Navy 19,380 Sunk
Total: 19,380

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. mine chutes but changing little else—evolved into the Type UC I coastal minelaying
    submarine. See: Miller, p. 458.
  3. ^ The Austrian U-3 had developed a leak and was undergoing repairs that eventually kept her at Pola until 27 April. See: "Tengeralattjárók" (PDF) (in Hungarian). Imperial and Royal Navy Association. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  4. ^ Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915.
  5. ^ UB-7 was similarly towed by the Austrian destroyer SMS Triglav two weeks later.
  6. The Atlantic Monthly
    . p. 439..

References

  1. ^ a b c "UB-8 (6104979)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 8". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Miller, pp. 46–47.
  4. ^ a b Williamson 2002, p. 12.
  5. ^ a b Tarrant, p. 172.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Йорданов, pp. 130–145.
  7. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 22–23.
  8. ^ a b Karau, p. 48.
  9. ^ a b c Karau, p. 49.
  10. ^ a b Halpern, p. 116.
  11. ^ a b c Koburger, p. 82.
  12. ^ a b Koburger, pp. 82–83.
  13. ^ Gardiner, p. 341.
  14. ^ a b Sondhaus, p. 268.
  15. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst von Voigt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  16. ^ Messimer, p. 12.
  17. ^
    The Atlantic Monthly
    . p. 439.
  18. ^ Bonsor, vol.3, pp. 945–46.
  19. ^ Tarrant, p. 23.
  20. ^ Halpern, p. 118.
  21. ^ a b Halpern, p. 236.
  22. ^ Gibson and Prendergast, pp. 73–74.
  23. ^ Gibson and Prendergast, pp. 124–25.
  24. ^ Halpern, p. 233.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Панайотов, Атанас. "Началото на подводното корабоплаване и началото на бойното използване на подводницата в българския военен флот" (in Bulgarian). Съюз на подводничарите в Република България. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  26. ^ a b Gardiner, p. 412.
  27. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 8". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 April 2009.

Bibliography

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