SM UB-54 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 12 June 1917 as SM UB-54.[nb 1]
 UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-54.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-54 |
| Ordered | 20 May 1916[1] |
| Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Cost | 3,276,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 266 |
| Laid down | 5 September 1916[2] |
| Launched | 18 April 1917[3] |
| Commissioned | 12 June 1917[3] |
| Fate | Sunk 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N 0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E by British destroyers, 36 dead[3] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UB III submarine |
| Type | Coastal submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 6 patrols |
| Victories: | |
The submarine conducted 6 patrols and sank 14 ships during the war for a total loss of 7,200 gross register tons (GRT).
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-54 was apparently sunk on 11 March 1918 at 53°15′N 0°45′E / 53.250°N 0.750°E by British destroyers HMS Sturgeon, Thruster, and Retriever using depth charges, all hands were lost.[3]
Construction
editUB-54 was ordered 20 May 1916. She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 18 April 1917. UB-54 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Egon von Werner.Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-54 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-54 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-54 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 1917 | HMS Vala |  Royal Navy
|
1,016 | Sunk |
| 25 August 1917 | Frigga |  Norway
|
1,046 | Sunk |
| 13 December 1917 | Chili |  France
|
1,318 | Sunk |
| 20 December 1917 | Noris | Norway
|
583 | Sunk |
| 21 December 1917 | Orne | France
|
928 | Sunk |
| 23 December 1917 | Ragna | Norway
|
1,747 | Sunk |
| 27 January 1918 | Nr. 14 |  Belgium
|
26 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | De Julia | Belgium
|
13 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | De Twee Marcels | Belgium
|
13 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | H. Debra Huysseme | Belgium
|
46 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Jean Mathilde | Belgium
|
12 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Le Jeune Arthur | Belgium
|
25 | Sunk |
| 29 January 1918 | Marie | Belgium
|
16 | Sunk |
| 30 January 1918 | Ferryhill |  United Kingdom
|
411 | Sunk |
Notes
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.
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
edit- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
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.