SM UC-70

SM UC-70 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 20 November 1916 as SM UC-70.[Note 1] In ten patrols UC-70 was credited with sinking 33 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.[1] On 28 August 1918, UC-70 was spotted lying submerged on the sea bottom and attacked by a Blackburn Kangaroo patrol aircraft of No. 246 Squadron RAF and then was then sunk by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Ouse.[1][7] The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-70.
History
German Empire
Name: UC-70
Ordered: 12 January 1916[1]
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 286[1]
Launched: 7 August 1916[1]
Commissioned: 20 November 1916[1]
Fate: depth charged by HMS Ouse, 28 August 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: German Type UC II submarine
Displacement:
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range:
  • 10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 26
Armament:
Notes: 35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 22 February 1917 – 28 August 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Fürbinger[4]
  • 22 November 1916 – 22 June 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Kurt Loch[5]
  • 15 April – 8 June 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl Dobberstein[6]
  • 8 June – 28 August 1918
Operations: 10 patrols
Victories:
  • 33 merchant ship sunk (27,078 GRT)
  • 7 merchant ships damaged (27,513 GRT)

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-70 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 508 tonnes (500 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 52 nautical miles (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,420 nautical miles (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-70 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[8]
14 February 1917 Marthe Yvonne  France 30 Sunk
16 March 1917 Cordouan  France 28 Sunk
16 March 1917 Margaret VI  French Navy 852 Damaged
17 March 1917 Alcide Marie  France 26 Sunk
17 March 1917 Camille Emile  France 20 Sunk
17 March 1917 Dieu Te Garde  France 30 Sunk
17 March 1917 Juliette  France 29 Sunk
17 March 1917 Louis XIV  France 44 Sunk
17 March 1917 Notre Dame Du Perpetuel Secours  France 29 Sunk
17 March 1917 Nozal  France 34 Sunk
17 March 1917 Renee Islander  France 25 Sunk
17 March 1917 Rupella  France 38 Sunk
17 March 1917 Tasso  United Kingdom 1,859 Sunk
18 March 1917 Madone  France 31 Sunk
18 March 1917 Entente Cordiale  France 22 Sunk
18 March 1917 Felicite Albert  France 32 Sunk
18 March 1917 Hyacinthe Yvonne  France 43 Sunk
19 March 1917 Bergsli  Norway 2,133 Sunk
19 March 1917 Michel  France 1,773 Sunk
24 March 1917 Tapir  France 200 Sunk
16 April 1917 Eduard  United Kingdom 476 Sunk
17 April 1917 Nirvana  United Kingdom 6,021 Damaged
30 April 1917 Eden  Norway 1,304 Sunk
7 May 1917 Lowmount  United Kingdom 2,070 Sunk
18 May 1917 C.E.C.G.  United Kingdom 47 Sunk
18 May 1917 Dromore  United Kingdom 268 Sunk
23 May 1917 Begona N°3  Spain 2,699 Sunk
27 May 1917 General De Boisdeffre  France 2,195 Sunk
28 May 1917 Ancona  United Kingdom 1,168 Sunk
27 May 1918 Wayside Flower  United Kingdom 21 Sunk
28 May 1918 Coronation  United Kingdom 19 Sunk
4 June 1918 Cento  United Kingdom 3,708 Damaged
9 July 1918 Frederika  Netherlands 91 Sunk
17 July 1918 Elin  Norway 139 Damaged
21 July 1918 Genesee  United Kingdom 2,830 Damaged
21 July 1918 Mongolian  United Kingdom 4,892 Sunk
23 July 1918 Boorara  Australia 6,570 Damaged
24 July 1918 Kilkis  Greece 4,302 Sunk
26 July 1918 Ango  France 7,393 Damaged
28 August 1918 Giralda  United Kingdom 1,100 Sunk

Loss

UC-70 was depth charged and sunk off Whitby, Yorkshire on 28 August 1918 with the loss of all 31 crew.[1] The wreck was given protected status by Historic England in 2017.[9]

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 70". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant 1989, p. 173
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 31-32.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Fürbinger (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Loch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karl Dobberstein". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  7. Jackson 1968, p. 114
  8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 70". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  9. "U-boat and merchant shipwrecks given protected status". BBC News Online. Retrieved 20 August 2017.

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.
  • 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.
  • Jackson, A.J. (1968). Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00053-6.
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1446103)". National Heritage List for England.

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