SM UC-6

SM UC-6 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 20 June 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 24 June 1915 as SM UC-6.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-6 in her 89 patrols were credited with sinking 54 ships.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-6.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-6
Ordered: by November 1914[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 50[1]
Launched: 20 June 1915[1]
Commissioned: 24 June 1915[1]
Fate: sunk by mine, 27 September 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC I submarine
Displacement:
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft: 3.04 m (10 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph), surfaced
  • 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 780 nmi (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 14
Armament:
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Matthias Graf von Schmettow[4]
  • 24 June 1915 – 4 May 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Otto Ehrentraut[5]
  • 5 May – 5 September 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Paul Günther[6]
  • 6 September – 4 November 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti[7]
  • 5 November 1916 – 30 April 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Löwe[8]
  • 1 May – 1 September 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Gottfried Reichenbach[9]
  • 2–27 September 1917
Operations: 89 patrols
Victories:
  • 36 merchant ships sunk (60,696 GRT)
  • 7 merchant ships damaged (32,726 GRT)
  • 19 warships sunk (4,928 tons)
  • 2 warships damaged (1,188 tons)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-6 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-6 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.[3]

Fate

UC-6 sailed from Zeebrugge on 27 September 1917 to lay mines off the Kentish Knock and did not return. She was later reported by British patrols that strong explosions had occurred in explosive nets laid in the area that same day. Other sources, however, state that UC-6 was destroyed by a British seaplane on 28 September 1917.[10]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[11]
14 August 1915 HMT Worsley  Royal Navy 309 Sunk
16 August 1915 HMT Japan  Royal Navy 205 Sunk
25 August 1915 Disa  Sweden 788 Sunk
28 August 1915 HMT Dane  Royal Navy 265 Sunk
29 August 1915 Sir William Stephenson  United Kingdom 1,540 Sunk
16 September 1915 Africa  United Kingdom 1,038 Sunk
18 September 1915 HMT Lydian  Royal Navy 244 Sunk
18 September 1915 San Zeferino  United Kingdom 6,430 Damaged
20 September 1915 Horden  United Kingdom 1,434 Sunk
23 September 1915 Groningen  United Kingdom 988 Sunk
24 September 1915 HMD Great Heart  Royal Navy 78 Sunk
27 September 1915 Nigretia  United Kingdom 3,187 Damaged
5 October 1915 Alose  French Navy 214 Sunk
18 October 1915 Aleppo  United Kingdom 3,870 Damaged
18 October 1915 Salerno  Norway 2,431 Sunk
21 October 1915 Monitoria  United Kingdom 1,904 Sunk
31 October 1915 HMY Aries  Royal Navy 268 Sunk
31 October 1915 Eidsiva  Norway 1,092 Sunk
31 October 1915 HMT Othello II  Royal Navy 206 Sunk
31 October 1915 Toward  United Kingdom 1,218 Sunk
3 November 1915 Friargate  United Kingdom 264 Sunk
12 November 1915 Moorside  United Kingdom 311 Sunk
12 November 1915 Nigel  United Kingdom 1,400 Sunk
12 January 1916 Traquair  United Kingdom 1,067 Sunk
12 February 1916 Leicester  United Kingdom 1,001 Sunk
21 February 1916 HMT Carlton  Royal Navy 267 Sunk
24 February 1916 Trignac  France 2,375 Sunk
27 February 1916 Empress of Fort William  United Kingdom 2,181 Sunk
27 February 1916 Maloja  United Kingdom 12,431 Sunk
28 February 1916 HMT Angelus  Royal Navy 304 Sunk
28 February 1916 HMT Weigelia  Royal Navy 262 Sunk
4 March 1916 HMT Flicker  Royal Navy 192 Sunk
23 March 1916 HMT Corona  Royal Navy 212 Sunk
23 March 1916 Sea Serpent  United Kingdom 902 Sunk
24 March 1916 Christianssund  Denmark 1,017 Sunk
26 March 1916 Saint Cecilia  United Kingdom 4,411 Sunk
7 April 1916 Halcyon  United Kingdom 1,319 Sunk
14 April 1916 Shenandoah  United Kingdom 3,886 Sunk
21 April 1916 Estafette  French Navy 267 Sunk
29 April 1916 Saint Corentin  French Navy 216 Sunk
16 May 1916 Batavier V  Netherlands 1,569 Sunk
26 May 1916 Volharding  Belgium 1,000 Sunk
1 June 1916 Excellenz Mehnert  Norway 646 Sunk
8 June 1916 HMT Kaphreda  Royal Navy 245 Sunk
19 June 1916 Corton Light Vessel  United Kingdom unknown Sunk
19 June 1916 Saint Jacques  France 72 Sunk
21 June 1916 Otis Tarda  Netherlands 759 Sunk
23 June 1916 Burma  United Kingdom 706 Sunk
27 June 1916 Waalstroom  Netherlands 1,441 Sunk
29 June 1916 HMT Hirose  Royal Navy 275 Sunk
7 July 1916 Gannet  United Kingdom 1,127 Sunk
10 July 1916 Kara  United Kingdom 2,338 Sunk
3 September 1916 Mascotte  United Kingdom 1,097 Sunk
2 October 1916 Girl Eva  United Kingdom 76 Sunk
29 December 1916 Lonada  United Kingdom 1,286 Sunk
29 December 1916 HMPMS Ludlow  Royal Navy 810 Sunk
29 December 1916 HMS Totnes  Royal Navy 810 Damaged
22 February 1917 Ashtabula  United Kingdom 7,025 Damaged
31 March 1917 HMD Forward III  Royal Navy 89 Sunk
19 April 1917 Lumina  United Kingdom 5,856 Damaged
12 May 1917 Waterville  United Kingdom 1,968 Damaged
7 June 1917 HMPMS Mercury  Royal Navy 378 Damaged
16 June 1917 Roald Amundsen  Norway 4,390 Damaged
18 June 1917 Dorte Jensen  Denmark 2,086 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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 6". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 30-31.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Matthias Graf von Schmettow (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Ehrentraut". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Paul Günther". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner von Zerboni di Sposetti". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Löwe". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Gottfried Reichenbach". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  10. Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC 231973419.
  11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 6". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

Bibliography
  • Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.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.
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

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