SM UB-107
History | |
---|---|
German Empire | |
Name: | UB-107 |
Ordered: | 6/8 February 1917[1]23 September 1913 |
Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Cost: | 3,714,000 German Papiermark |
Yard number: | 313 |
Launched: | 21 July 1917[2] |
Commissioned: | 16 February 1918[2] |
Fate: | sunk 27 July 1918 by British warships at 54°23′N 0°24′W / 54.383°N 0.400°WCoordinates: 54°23′N 0°24′W / 54.383°N 0.400°W.[2] |
General characteristics [2] | |
Class and type: | German Type UB III submarine |
Displacement: |
|
Length: | 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a) |
Beam: | 5.80 m (19.0 ft) |
Draught: | 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
Propulsion: |
|
Speed: |
|
Range: |
|
Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement: | 3 officers, 31 men[2] |
Armament: |
|
Service record[3] | |
Part of: |
|
Commanders: |
|
Operations: | 4 patrols |
Victories: |
|
SM UB-107 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 16 February 1918 as SM UB-107.[Note 1]
The submarine conducted 4 patrols and sank 11 ships during the war for a total loss of 26,147 GRT. UB-107 was sunk on 27 July 1918 by HMS Vanessa and HMT Calvis at 54°23′N 0°24′W / 54.383°N 0.400°W.[2]
Construction
UB-107 was ordered by the GIN on 23 September 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 21 July 1917. UB-107 was commissioned early the next year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-107 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-107 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-107 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.
Fate
The first recorded fate of UB-107 was noted as sunk by depth charge on July 27, 1918 by the Royal Navy trawler Calvis and HMY Vanessa II at position 57°23′N 00°24′W / 57.383°N 0.400°W. It has since been argued that the UB-107 was probably not present for the attack by Calvis and Vanessa II as it was the only U-boat that could have been responsible for the sinking of steamers Chloris and John Rettig two and a half hours later at position 53°52′N 00°10′E / 53.867°N 0.167°E.
In 1985 divers discovered the wreck of UB-107 one mile north of Flamborough Head at position 54°08′N 00°00′W / 54.133°N -0.000°E entangled with another wreck, the SS Malvina, a British steamer torpedoed and sunk on 3 August 1918 by UB-104. UB-107 was identified by the markings on her propellers.[4][5] It is suggested that either UB-107 suffered an accident of some sort or was lost on a British mine between July 28 and August 3, 1918 leaving all hands lost (38 dead).[3]
Summary of raiding history
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 May 1918 | Erich Lea | Norway | 1,630 | Sunk |
10 May 1918 | Naparima | Sweden | 1,685 | Damaged |
6 June 1918 | Koningin Regentes | Netherlands | 1,970 | Sunk |
8 June 1918 | Hogarth | United Kingdom | 1,231 | Sunk |
13 June 1918 | Agnes | Sweden | 1,334 | Sunk |
13 June 1918 | Kalo | United Kingdom | 1,957 | Sunk |
15 June 1918 | Kieldrecht | United Kingdom | 1,284 | Sunk |
8 July 1918 | Chicago | United Kingdom | 7,709 | Sunk |
8 July 1918 | War Crocus | United Kingdom | 5,296 | Sunk |
9 July 1918 | Fryken | Sweden | 943 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | Chloris | United Kingdom | 984 | Sunk |
27 July 1918 | John Rettig | Sweden | 1,809 | Sunk |
Television Documentary
The fate of UB-107 was the subject of an episode of the documentary television series Deep Sea Detectives: "Mystery U-Boat of WWI". The documentary offered various scenarios for the sinking based on historical evidence and exploratory diving at the wreck site.[7]
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.
- ↑ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
- ↑ Rössler 1979, p. 66.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
- 1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 107". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ↑ "UB-107 (Wreck)". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ "100 Best Wreck Dives THE MALVINA AND UB-107 – 49". divernet.com. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 107". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ↑ http://www.tv.com/shows/deep-sea-detectives/mystery-u-boat-of-world-war-i-1066625/
Bibliography
- Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.