SM UC-7

SM UC-7 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 6 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 9 July 1915 as SM UC-7.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-7 in her 34 patrols were credited with sinking 32 ships.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-7.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-7
Ordered: by November 1914[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 51[1]
Launched: 6 July 1915[1]
Commissioned: 9 July 1915[1]
Status: Missing since 5 July 1916[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:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 12 August 1915 – 5 July 1916
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Franz Wäger[4]
  • 9 July – 29 November 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Haag[5]
  • 30 November 1915 – 5 July 1916
Operations: 34 patrols
Victories:
  • 20 merchant ship sunk (43,545 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ship damaged (6,151 GRT)
  • 12 warships sunk (5,709 tons)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-7 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-7 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-7 sailed from Zeebrugge on 3 July 1916 to lay mines off the English coast and failed to return. UB-12 sighted a submarine believed to be UC-7 on 5 July, west of the Bligh Bank, 46 km (29 mi) from Ostend. The submarine in question was reported to be on a course that would run it into a minefield, and Verschollen notes that the time and place would be correct if UC-7 were returning to base. The bodies of two crew members were later washed ashore on the coast of Flanders on 19 July. She was claimed that UC-7 was sunk by HMS Salmon on 7 July off Southwold, but this was doubted since the reported position was too far off UC-7's operating area.[6]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[7]
1 September 1915 HMT Malta  Royal Navy 138 Sunk
1 September 1915 HMT Nadine  Royal Navy 150 Sunk
1 September 1915 Savona  United Kingdom 1,180 Sunk
3 September 1915 Churston  United Kingdom 2,470 Sunk
22 September 1915 Koningin Emma  Netherlands 9,181 Sunk
26 September 1915 Vigilant  United Kingdom 69 Sunk
5 October 1915 Novocastrian  United Kingdom 1,151 Sunk
6 October 1915 Texelstroom  Netherlands 1,601 Sunk
28 November 1915 HMT William Morrison  Royal Navy 212 Sunk
8 December 1915 Ignis  United Kingdom 2,042 Sunk
10 December 1915 Ingstad  Norway 780 Sunk
21 December 1915 Knarsdale  United Kingdom 1,641 Sunk
31 December 1915 HMT Speeton  Royal Navy 205 Sunk
6 February 1916 Balgownie  United Kingdom 1,061 Sunk
8 February 1916 Elswick Manor  United Kingdom 3,943 Damaged
11 February 1916 Arethusa  Royal Navy 3,520 Sunk
26 February 1916 Dido  United Kingdom 4,769 Sunk
27 February 1916 Mecklenburg  Netherlands 2,885 Sunk
9 March 1916 Fauvette  United Kingdom 2,644 Sunk
18 March 1916 HMT Ameer  Royal Navy 216 Sunk
18 March 1916 Lowlands  United Kingdom 1,789 Sunk
19 March 1916 HMT Valpa  Royal Navy 230 Sunk
24 March 1916 Fulmar  United Kingdom 1,270 Sunk
25 March 1916 HMD Hilary II  Royal Navy 78 Sunk
26 March 1916 Cerne  United Kingdom 2,579 Sunk
2 April 1916 Bourbaki  France 2,208 Damaged
2 April 1916 HMT Commandant  Royal Navy 207 Sunk
9 April 1916 Avon  United Kingdom 1,574 Sunk
14 April 1916 HMT Alberta  Royal Navy 209 Sunk
14 April 1916 HMT Orcades  Royal Navy 270 Sunk
15 April 1916 Tusnastabb  Norway 859 Sunk
23 April 1916 HMT Lena Melling  Royal Navy 274 Sunk
10 May 1916 Dolcoath  United Kingdom 1,706 Sunk
18 June 1916 Seaconnet  United States 2,294 Sunk

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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 7". 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: Franz Wäger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Haag". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. Messimer, Dwight R. (2002). Verschollen : World War I U-boat losses. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-55750-475-3. OCLC 231973419.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 7". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 8 February 2015.

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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