SM UB-68

SM UB-68[Note 1] was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 October 1917 as SM UB-68. The submarine conducted five patrols and sank five ships during the war. Under the command of Karl Dönitz, on 4 October 1918 UB-68 encountered technical problems and had to surface where she was sunk by gunfire at 33°56′N 16°20′E. There was one dead and thirty-three survivors.[2] Other sources name the British warships involved in the sinking of UB-68 as HMS Snapdragon and HMS Cradosin, and claim four crew members died in the event.[4]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-68.
History
German Empire
Name: UB-68
Ordered: 20 May 1916[1][2]
Builder: Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost: 3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number: 286
Launched: 4 July 1917[3]
Commissioned: 5 October 1917[3]
Fate: Sunk 4 October 1918[3]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:
  • 513 t (505 long tons) surfaced
  • 647 t (637 long tons) submerged
Length: 55.83 m (183 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam: 5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught: 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 9,090 nmi (16,830 km; 10,460 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[3]
Armament:
Notes: 30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Pola/Mittelmeer I Flotilla[2]
  • 8 January – 4 October 1918
Commanders:
Operations: 5 patrols; 8 January – 4 October 1918 Pola Flotilla/Constantinople Flotilla[2]
Victories:
  • 5 merchant ships sunk (10,758 GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged (23,788 GRT)[2]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
10 April 1918 Warwickshire  United Kingdom 8,012 Damaged
11 April 1918 Kingstonian  United Kingdom 6,564 Damaged
13 April 1918 Provence III  France 3,941 Damaged
26 April 1918 Angelina Di Paola  Italy 228 Sunk
1 June 1918 Angelina  Italy 1,260 Sunk
3 June 1918 Glaucus  United Kingdom 5,295 Sunk
12 June 1918 Monginevro  Italy 5,271 Damaged
24 June 1918 Saint Antoine  France 43 Sunk
4 October 1918 Oopack  United Kingdom 3,883 Sunk

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

References
  1. Rössler 1979, p. 27.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 68". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
  4. Gröner, p.54
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 68". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.


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