SM UB-103 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 on 18 December 1917 as SM UB-103.[Note 1]
 UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-103.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-103 |
| Ordered | 6 / 8 February 1917[1] |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Cost | 3,714,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 309 |
| Launched | 7 July 1917[2] |
| Commissioned | 18 December 1917[2] |
| Fate | Sunk 14 August 1918 at 50°52′N 1°27′E / 50.867°N 1.450°E[2] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type | Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 6 patrols |
| Victories: |
15 merchant ships sunk (25,999 GRT) |
UB-103 was sunk in the English Channel by British warships and SSZ 1, a SSZ class blimp.[2] All hands were lost.[4]
Construction
editShe was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and, after just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 7 July 1917. UB-103 was commissioned later the same year, under the command of KptLt Paul Hundius. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-103 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-103 had a crew of up to three officers and 31 men, and its cruising range was 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-103 had a displacement of 510 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 629 t (619 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.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 March 1918 | Eros |  Sweden
|
858 | Sunk |
| 21 March 1918 | Tyrhaug |  United Kingdom
|
1,483 | Sunk |
| 24 March 1918 | Anteros | United Kingdom
|
4,241 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Eric Calvert | United Kingdom
|
1,862 | Sunk |
| 28 April 1918 | Elba | United Kingdom
|
1,081 | Sunk |
| 2 May 1918 | Thorsa | United Kingdom
|
1,319 | Sunk |
| 3 May 1918 | Vasilefs Georgios |  Greece
|
3,651 | Sunk |
| 10 June 1918 | Borg | United Kingdom
|
2,111 | Sunk |
| 11 June 1918 | Lorle | United Kingdom
|
2,686 | Sunk |
| 12 June 1918 | Kul | United Kingdom
|
1,095 | Sunk |
| 11 July 1918 | Kong Guttorm |  Norway
|
731 | Sunk |
| 15 July 1918 | Cap Breton |  France
|
1,464 | Sunk |
| 15 July 1918 | Vendee | France
|
892 | Sunk |
| 16 July 1918 | Lyndiane | France
|
1,564 | Sunk |
| 21 July 1918 | Arvor | France
|
961 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "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
edit- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 66.
- ^ a b c d e Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Paul Hundius (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "WWI U-boats UB 103". uboat.net. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 103". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
Bibliography
edit- 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. 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. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.