SM U-135

SM U-135[Note 1] was a German Type U 127 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-135.
SM U-135 at sea, 1917
History
German Empire
Name: SM U-135
Ordered: 27 May 1916[1]
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft Danzig[1]
Laid down: 4 November 1916[1]
Launched: 8 September 1917[1]
Commissioned: 20 June 1918[1]
Fate:
  • Surrendered, 20 November 1918
  • Sunk as target 30 June 1921.
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type U 127 submarine
Displacement:
  • 1,175 t (1,156 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,534 t (1,510 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 7.54 m (24 ft 9 in) o/a
  • 4.85 m (15 ft 11 in) pressure hull
Height: 9.46 m (31 ft)
Draught: 4.26 m (14 ft 0 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × MAN diesel engines, 3,353 bhp (2,500 kW) total
  • 2 × diesel generators for surface dash, 888 brake horsepower (662 kW) total
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,667 shp (1,243 kW) total
Propulsion: 2 × propeller shafts
Speed:
  • 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth: 75 m (246 ft)
Complement: 44 men
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • unknown start – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Johannes Spieß[3]
  • 20 June – 11 November 1918
Operations: None
Victories: None

History

Built at the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, the U-boat was laid down on 4 November 1916, launched on 8 September 1917 and commissioned 20 June 1918.

In November 1918, U-135 was ordered to help put down the German Navy mutiny at Wilhelmshaven. Along with the 4th Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla, U-135 ended the mutiny aboard two German battleships SMS Thüringen and SMS Helgoland by threatening to torpedo the ships.

U-135 was seen by later submarine designers as an excellent design. She was an inspiration for V-boats USS Cachalot and USS Cuttlefish.

She was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. Taken over by the UK, the boat was taken to Devonport, where her engines and various other items of equipment were stripped by a team of 25 students led by Technical Officer Richard Finney [1888-1953] under the auspices of J. F. Driver from the then Loughborough College. This equipment was reassembled initially in a wooden hut in Packe Street, Loughborough, and later in a purpose built generating station opened in 1937. They were finally taken out of use, and replaced, in 1949.[4] Finally, on 30 June 1921, the hulk was towed out to sea and sunk by gunfire from the submarines HMS/M L21 and L52, in company with U-161.[5]

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.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 135". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 15-16.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Spieß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. Leonard Cantor, Loughborough University of Technology: Past and Present, 1990, LUT, p.50.
  5. Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars,. Barnsley: Seaforth. pp. 54, 126. ISBN 978 1 5267 4198 1.

Bibliography
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.


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