Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

SM UB-104

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-104.
History
German Empire
NameUB-104
Ordered6 / 8 February 1917[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number310
Launched1 September 1917[2]
Commissioned15 March 1918[2]
FateSunk by mine on 19 September 1918[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeType UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 519 t (511 long tons) surfaced
  • 649 t (639 long tons) submerged
Length55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst Berlin[3]
  • 15 March – 26 July 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Thomas Bieber[4]
  • 27 July – 21 September 1918
Operations: 3 patrols
Victories: 11 merchant ships sunk
(15,958 GRT)

SM UB-104 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 15 March 1918 as SM UB-104.[Note 1]

UB-104 was sunk by mine in at the Northern Barrage on 19 September 1918.[2]

Construction

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 1 September 1917. UB-104 was commissioned later the same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Ernst Berlin. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-104 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-104 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-104 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.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
2 August 1918 Flevo X  Netherlands 111 Sunk
2 August 1918 Remke  Netherlands 193 Sunk
3 August 1918 Cambrai  France 963 Sunk
13 August 1918 Frida  Denmark 395 Sunk
13 August 1918 Jönköping 1  Sweden 1,546 Sunk
14 August 1918 Wallsend  United Kingdom 2,697 Sunk
14 September 1918 Gibel Hamam  United Kingdom 647 Sunk
15 September 1918 Kendal Castle  United Kingdom 3,885 Sunk
16 September 1918 Ethel  United Kingdom 2,336 Sunk
16 September 1918 Lord Stewart  United Kingdom 1,445 Sunk
17 September 1918 Ursa  Sweden 1,740 Sunk

References

Notes

  1. ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. ^ Rössler 1979, p. 66.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Berlin". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Thomas Bieber (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 104". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

Bibliography