SM UC-52

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-52.
History
German Empire
NameUC-52
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel[2]
Yard number268[1]
Launched23 January 1917[1]
Commissioned15 March 1917[1]
FateSurrendered, 16 January 1919; broken up[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeGerman Type UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 434 t (427 long tons), surfaced
  • 511 t (503 long tons), submerged
Length
  • 52.69 m (172 ft 10 in)
    o/a
  • 40.96 m (134 ft 5 in)
    pressure hull
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 ×
    propeller shafts
  • 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 580–600 PS (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp)
  • 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp)
Speed
  • 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph), surfaced
  • 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged
Range
  • 8,820–9,450 nmi (16,330–17,500 km; 10,150–10,870 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla
  • 8 July 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Ludwig Karl Sahl[4]
  • 15 March – 27 September 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Doemming[5]
  • 28 September 1917 – 17 July 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Carl Heinrich Saß[6]
  • 18 July – 11 November 1918
Operations: 7 patrols
Victories:
  • 17 merchant ships sunk
    (17,217 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (1,013 GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged
    (13,580 GRT)

SM UC-52 was a German

mines laid. She notably sank the Italian troopship Verona, killing 880 soldiers. UC-52 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Morecambe.[1]

Design

A

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 11.8 knots (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,820 to 9,450 nautical miles (16,330 to 17,500 km; 10,150 to 10,870 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-52 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[7]
13 September 1917 Arlequin  Tunisia 6 Sunk
13 September 1917 Chere Rose  Tunisia 28 Sunk
13 September 1917 Ortigia  Tunisia 17 Sunk
13 September 1917 Vittoria  Tunisia 24 Sunk
18 September 1917 Cachalot  Tunisia 17 Sunk
31 March 1918 San Nicola  United Kingdom 24 Sunk
6 April 1918 Madonna delle Grazie B.  Kingdom of Italy 105 Sunk
9 April 1918 Sunik  United Kingdom 5,017 Damaged
10 April 1918 Airedale  United Kingdom 3,044 Damaged
11 May 1918 Gigilla  Kingdom of Italy 120 Sunk
11 May 1918 Verona  Kingdom of Italy 8,261 Sunk
14 May 1918 Woolston  United Kingdom 2,986 Sunk
17 May 1918 Pietro Brizzolari  Kingdom of Italy 445 Sunk
18 May 1918 HMS Chesterfield  Royal Navy 1,013 Sunk
18 May 1918 Ninetta  Kingdom of Italy 17 Sunk
22 June 1918 Metamorphosis  Greece 130 Sunk
24 June 1918 Maria  Greece 25 Sunk
24 June 1918 Sofia  Greece 24 Sunk
4 July 1918 Cordova  Kingdom of Italy 4,933 Sunk
7 July 1918 Vergine Di Lourdes  Kingdom of Italy 55 Sunk
7 July 1918 Stalheim  Norway 1,469 Damaged
23 October 1918 Ischia  Kingdom of Italy 4,050 Damaged

References

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. gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement
    .

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ludwig Karl Sahl". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hellmuth von Doemming". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Carl Heinrich Saß". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  7. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SM_UC-52&oldid=1172009863"