SM UC-97
UC-97 at Toronto, 1919
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History | |
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German Empire | |
Name | UC-97 |
Ordered | 12 January 1916[1] |
Builder | |
Yard number | 331[1] |
Launched | 17 March 1918[1] |
Commissioned | 3 September 1918[1] |
Fate | Surrendered, 22 November 1918; sunk as target in Lake Michigan, 7 June 1921[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | German Type UC III submarine |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam | 5.54 m (18 ft 2 in) (o/a) |
Draft | 3.77 m (12 ft 4 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
Complement | 32 |
Armament |
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Notes | 15-second diving time |
Service record | |
Commanders: |
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Operations: | None |
Victories: | None |
SM UC-97 was a German
Design
A
The submarine was designed for a maximum surface speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,850 nautical miles (18,240 km; 11,340 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-97 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, fourteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 or 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun . Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[4]
Construction
The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was
She was surrendered on 22 November 1918 to the United States. UC-97 formed the Ex-German Submarine Expeditionary Force with
Destruction
A clause of the armistice treaty required all German combat vessels held by Allied forces to be destroyed before 1 July 1921. All armament, propulsion machinery, and navigation gear were removed from UC-97 before she was towed out into Lake Michigan by
References
Notes
- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 97". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 174.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Wiedemann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ a b Gröner 1991, pp. 34–35.
- ^ a b Wise, James E. (Winter 1989). "The Sinking of the UC-97". Naval History. 3 (1). United States Naval Institute: 13–14.
- ^ a b "WWI submarine has underwater Lake Michigan grave".
- ^ However, the claim of its find has not been substantiated by any evidence to the present day. Ellison, Mark (26 June 2013). "Wharf a reminder of Toronto's transformed shoreline". Toronto Star. Toronto. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
Bibliography
- Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
- 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.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. OCLC 12119866.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. OCLC 20338385.
External links
- German World War I U-boat UC-97 Archived 30 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine from A&T Recovery, locators of UC-97's wreck in Lake Michigan
- WWI German submarine has underwater Lake Michigan grave ABC Chicago article May 19, 2013