SM UB-63

SM UB-63 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 23 July 1917 as SM UB-63.[Note 1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-63.
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-63.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-63
Ordered: 20 May 1916[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost: 3,279,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 88
Launched: 26 May 1917[2]
Commissioned: 23 July 1917[2]
Fate: sunk 21 January 1918 by British warships at 56°10′N 2°0′E[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 508 t (500 long tons) surfaced
  • 639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
  • 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 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:
  • Imperial German Navy:
  • II Flotilla
  • 4–30 September 1917
  • V Flotilla
  • 30 September 1917 – 14 January 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Rudolf Gebeschus[3]
  • 23 July 1917 – 14 January 1918
Operations: 3 patrols
Victories:
  • 2 merchant ships sunk (4,481 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged (1,113 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship captured as a prize (3,290 GRT)

UB-63 was sunk on 28 January 1918 by British warships HMS W.S. Bailey and HMS Fort George at 56°10′N 2°0′E with depth charges. All 33 crew members perished in the attack.[2]

Construction
Main article: German Type UB III submarine

UB-63 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916.

She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 26 May 1917. UB-63 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-63 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-63 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-63 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
15 September 1917 Santaren  United Kingdom 4,256 Sunk
3 November 1917 Haelen  Belgium 3,290 Captured as a prize
8 November 1917 Lindhardt  Denmark 225 Sunk
15 November 1917 Stargard  Norway 1,113 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. 60.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Rudolf Gebeschus". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 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.
  • 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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