SM UB-123

SM UB-123 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 6 April 1918 as SM UB-123.[Note 1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-123.
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-123.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-123
Ordered: 6/8 February 1917[1]
Builder: AG Weser, Bremen
Cost: 3,654,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 296
Launched: 2 March 1918[2]
Commissioned: 6 April 1918[2]
Fate: Sunk 19 October 1918.[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 512 t (504 long tons) surfaced
  • 643 t (633 long tons) submerged
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:
  • 13.9 knots (25.7 km/h; 16.0 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 7,280 nmi (13,480 km; 8,380 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 depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 22 June – 19 October 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Robert Ramm[3]
  • 6 April – 19 October 1918
Operations: 2 patrols
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk (2,646 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged (4,095 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships captured as prizes (3,530 GRT)

She torpedoed and sunk Leinster a vessel operated by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company on 10 October 1918, shortly after the new parliamentary based German Government under Max von Baden had asked U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to negotiate an armistice.

Leinster went down just outside Dublin Bay. Over 500 people perished in the sinking — the greatest single loss of life in the Irish Sea.

UB-123 struck a mine at the North Sea Mine Barrage on 19 October 1918, all 36 crew members died in the event.[2]

Construction
Main article: German Type UB III submarine

She was built by AG Weser of Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 2 March 1918. UB-123 was commissioned later the same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Robert Ramm. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-123 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun. UB-123 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,280 nautical miles (13,480 km; 8,380 mi). UB-123 had a displacement of 512 t (504 long tons) while surfaced and 643 t (633 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.9 knots (25.7 km/h; 16.0 mph) when surfaced and 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
16 July 1918 Anine  Denmark 1,299 Captured as a prize
16 July 1918 Constantin  Denmark 831 Captured as a prize
16 July 1918 Hjortholm  Denmark 1,400 Captured as a prize
10 October 1918 Leinster  Ireland 2,646 Sunk
16 October 1918 Caloria  United States 4,095 Damaged

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. 55.
  2. Gröner, Jung & Maass 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Robert Ramm". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 123". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

Bibliography
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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