SM UC-30 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 27 July 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 22 August 1916 as SM UC-30.[Note 1] In four patrols UC-30 was credited with sinking five ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-30 was mined and sunk off Horns Reef on 21 April 1917.[1] The wreck was discovered in 2016.
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UC-30 |
| Ordered | 29 August 1915[1] |
| Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2] |
| Yard number | 69[1] |
| Launched | 27 July 1916[1] |
| Commissioned | 22 August 1916[1] |
| Fate | Sunk by mine, 21 April 1917[1] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UC II submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 26 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | 48-second diving time |
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 4 patrols |
| Victories: | |
Design
editA Type UC II submarine, UC-30 had a displacement of 400 tonnes (390 long tons) when at the surface and 480 tonnes (470 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45 m (162 ft 3 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 260 metric horsepower (190 kW; 260 shp) (a total of 520 metric horsepower (380 kW; 510 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two 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 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 53 nautical miles (98 km; 61 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,410 nautical miles (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-30 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]
Captain
editOn 20 June 1917 the remains of a human whose mostly decomposed remains were kept together by a German uniform was found washed ashore in Bjergehuse in Sønder Nissum parish, Denmark. The parish priest described the remains as those of a ca. 30-year-old, handsomely and strongly built man and assumed him to be a downed and drowned airman. The remains were buried in the parish on 23 June 1917. On 17 October 1917 the German legation in Copenhagen informed the ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs that the remains had been identified as those of the captain of submarine 30, Kapitänleutnant Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Maximilian Stenzler and requested on behalf of his family that his remains be exhumed and transferred to Germany for burial there. On 15 November 1917 the grave was thus opened, the remains transferred to a zinc lined coffin and repatriated. On 28 November 1917 Stenzler was buried in the family grave in Stralsund. The Sønder Nissum parish priest received a letter from Stenzler's mother, a widow in Stralsund. According to this letter, Stenzler was born 1 July 1886 in Cassel, to Max Israël formerly mayor of Stralsund and Maria née Wellsmann and later took the name Stenzler.[5]
Wreck
editThe wreck was located by JD-Contractor A/S in 2016 outside Esbjerg, still carrying 18 mines and 6 torpedoes.[6] The submerged wreck was identified in part using multibeam sonar, see animation.
Previously, a Danish diving company claimed to have identified a wreck originally found in 2005 as the UC-30. The assumed wreck was located about 66 nautical miles (122 km; 76 mi) straight west of Nymindegab (approx. 55°49′N 6°12′E / 55.817°N 6.200°E) at a depth of 46 metres (151 ft). The company intended to dive on the location in the summer of 2011.[7]
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 1916 | Romance |  Norway
|
628 | Sunk |
| 12 February 1917 | HMT Euston |  Royal Navy
|
209 | Sunk |
| 16 February 1917 | HMT Recepto | Royal Navy
|
245 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1917 | Hunstanton |  United Kingdom
|
4,504 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1917 | Monte Protegido |  Argentina
|
281 | 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.
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
edit- ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 30". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Heinrich Stenzler". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ "Døde Mandkøn" [Deceased Males]. Kirkebog [Parish Register]. 1907–1927 (in Danish). Sønder Nissum Sogn. 1917. pp. 28543994 275, 28544047 337.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kristoffer Østergaard Kristensen (2016-08-18). "Sprængfarlig tysk ubåd fundet ud for Esbjerg" [Explosive German submarine discovered off the coast of Esbjerg]. Jyllandsposten (in Danish). Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ Danish Television channel TVMidtvest, 29 June 2011
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 30". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
Bibliography
edit- 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). 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.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.