Type UE II submarine
![]() SM U-117 at Cape Charles
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Class overview | |
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Builders |
|
Operators | |
Subclasses | U-122 |
Built | 1917–1918 |
In commission | 1917–1918 |
Completed | 10 |
Lost | 4 |
Scrapped | 6 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Ocean-going mine-laying submarine |
Displacement | 1,164 t (1,146 long tons) surfaced; 1,512 t (1,488 long tons) submerged |
Length | 81.52 or 82 m (267 ft 5 in or 269 ft 0 in) |
Beam | 7.42 m (24 ft 4 in) |
Draft | 4.22 m (13 ft 10 in) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 diesel engines, 2 electric motors |
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 75 m (246 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 36 enlisted men |
Sensors and processing systems | 2 periscopes |
Armament |
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The Type UE II submarines were a class of submarines built by the German Empire during World War I as long-range mine-layers.
UE II boats carried 14 torpedoes and were armed with one 150 mm deck gun. They carried a crew of 40 and had a cruising range of about 9,400 miles. Nine were built between 1917 and 1918.[1]
The UE IIs joined the conflict in the middle of 1917, at a time when the tide of the war was turning against Germany. In the months beforehand, the United States Navy was added to the ranks of their enemies; and the convoy system was introduced, making it difficult to engage enemy merchant shipping without being spotted by destroyer escorts.[2] Because they entered service late in the war, the UE IIs only sank 23 ships and damaged 4 others before the end of hostilities. SM U-117 was by far the most successful U-boat, taking credit for 20 ships sunk out of the total of 23 for the entire type.[3] The UE II's were the last of the UE class U-boats built by the German Imperial Navy; the last of the class, U-126, was commissioned on 3 October 1918, a little over a month before the armistice at Compiègne.[4]
Post-war years
[edit]Following the end of the war, all of the Type UE II submarines were handed over to the allies as part of the Treaty of Versailles. SM U-117 was handed over to the United States where she remained in the Philadelphia Navy Yard along with other U-boats. In June 1921 she was taken out to sea and sunk as a target for aerial bombing tests conducted by the Navy and Army.[3] SM U-118 was turned over to France but broke her tow and was washed ashore at Hastings in Sussex where she remained until being finally broken up in December 1919.[5] SM U-119 was surrendered to France in November 1918. She was renamed the René Audry and saw service in the French Navy and was eventually broken up in October 1937.[6] SM U-120 was transferred to Italy in November 1918. She was broken up soon after in April 1919.[7] SM U-122 was surrendered to England on 26 November 1918. She later ran aground on the English east coast while on her journey to Scapa Flow.[8] Like SM U-122, SM U-123 also ran aground on the English coast where she was broken up.[9] SM U-124 was surrendered in December 1918 and was later broken up in Swansea in 1921.[10] SM U-125 surrendered to Japan in late November 1918. She served in the Japanese Navy as the O1 in 1920-21. between January and March 1921, U-125 was dismantled at Yokosuka Navy Yard.[11] SM U-126 was handed over to the allies in November 1918 and later broken up at Upnor in 1923.[4]
Ships sunk or damaged by Type UE II submarines
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate | U-boat credited with loss |
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10 August 1918 | Aleda May | ![]() |
31 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Cruiser | ![]() |
28 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Earl & Nettie | ![]() |
24 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Katie L. Palmer | ![]() |
31 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Mary E. Sennett | ![]() |
26 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Progress | ![]() |
34 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | Reliance | ![]() |
19 | Sunk | U-117 |
10 August 1918 | William H. Starbuck | ![]() |
53 | Sunk | U-117 |
12 August 1918 | Sommerstad | ![]() |
3,875 | Sunk | U-117 |
13 August 1918 | Frederic R. Kellogg | ![]() |
7,127 | Damaged | U-117 |
14 August 1918 | Dorothy B. Barrett | ![]() |
2,088 | Sunk | U-117 |
15 August 1918 | Madrugada | ![]() |
1,613 | Sunk | U-117 |
16 August 1918 | Mirlo | ![]() |
6,978 | Sunk | U-117 |
17 August 1918 | Nordhav | ![]() |
2,846 | Sunk | U-117 |
20 August 1918 | Ansaldo III | ![]() |
5,310 | Damaged | U-117 |
24 August 1918 | Bianca | ![]() |
408 | Damaged | U-117 |
26 August 1918 | Rush | ![]() |
145 | Sunk | U-117 |
27 August 1918 | Bergsdalen | ![]() |
2,555 | Sunk | U-117 |
30 August 1918 | Elsie Porter | ![]() |
136 | Sunk | U-117 |
30 August 1918 | Potentate | ![]() |
136 | Sunk | U-117 |
16 September 1918 | Wellington | ![]() |
5,600 | Sunk | U-118 |
29 September 1918 | USS Minnesota | ![]() |
18,000 | Damaged | U-117 |
2 October 1918 | Arca | ![]() |
4,839 | Sunk | U-118 |
4 October 1918 | San Saba | ![]() |
2,458 | Sunk | U-117 |
18 October 1918 | Njordur | ![]() |
278 | Sunk | U-122 |
27 October 1918 | Chaparra | ![]() |
1,510 | Sunk | U-117 |
9 November 1918 | Saetia | ![]() |
2,873 | Sunk | U-117 |
Ships in class
[edit]There were 9 Type UE II submarines commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine.
One submarine was not completed before the armistice.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
References
[edit]- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat Types: Type UE 2". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Goebel, Greg (24 December 2008). "The First Battle of the Atlantic". Vectorsite.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 126". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 118". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 119". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 120". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 122". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 123". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U-124". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U-125". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 118". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by Ships hit by U-122". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
Bibliography
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- 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.