SM UB-57 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 30 July 1917 as SM UB-57.[Note 1]
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-57.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | UB-57 |
| Ordered | 20 May 1916[1] |
| Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Cost | 3,276,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 269 |
| Laid down | 13 September 1916[2] |
| Launched | 21 June 1917[3] |
| Commissioned | 30 July 1917[3] |
| Fate | Sunk 14 August 1918 at 51°56′N 02°02′E / 51.933°N 2.033°E by a mine, 34 dead[3] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[3] |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 11 patrols |
| Victories: | |
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-57 was sunk at 23:00 on 14 August 1918 at 51°56′N 02°02′E / 51.933°N 2.033°E after striking a mine, 34 crew members lost their lives in the event.[3]
Construction
editShe was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 21 June 1917. UB-57 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Otto Steinbrinck. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-57 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-57 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-57 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 October 1917 | Alcyone | 116 | Sunk | |
| 11 October 1917 | Joshua | 60 | Sunk | |
| 20 October 1917 | Leander | 2,968 | Sunk | |
| 20 October 1917 | Nitedal | 1,714 | Sunk | |
| 22 October 1917 | Novillo | 2,336 | Sunk | |
| 23 October 1917 | Seistan | 4,238 | Sunk | |
| 23 October 1917 | Tredegar Hall | 3,764 | Sunk | |
| 22 November 1917 | Krosfond | 1,707 | Sunk | |
| 24 November 1917 | Nyassa | 2,579 | Sunk | |
| 27 November 1917 | Almond Branch | 3,461 | Sunk | |
| 27 November 1917 | Eastfield | 2,145 | Sunk | |
| 22 December 1917 | Mabel Baird | 2,500 | Sunk | |
| 23 December 1917 | Vellore | 1,672 | Sunk | |
| 26 December 1917 | Benito | 4,712 | Sunk | |
| 26 December 1917 | Tregenna | 5,772 | Sunk | |
| 28 December 1917 | Clara | 2,425 | Sunk | |
| 29 December 1917 | Tiro | 1,442 | Sunk | |
| 5 February 1918 | Alamance | 4,455 | Sunk | |
| 6 February 1918 | Westmoreland | 9,512 | Damaged | |
| 7 February 1918 | Ardbeg | 227 | Sunk | |
| 7 February 1918 | Ben Rein | 212 | Sunk | |
| 7 February 1918 | Limesfield | 427 | Sunk | |
| 12 February 1918 | Eleanor | 1,980 | Sunk | |
| 12 February 1918 | Polo | 1,383 | Sunk | |
| 14 February 1918 | Carlisle Castle | 4,325 | Sunk | |
| 14 February 1918 | War Monarch | 7,887 | Sunk | |
| 17 March 1918 | Anne Yvonne | 102 | Sunk | |
| 17 March 1918 | Arvor | 52 | Sunk | |
| 17 March 1918 | Beata | 102 | Sunk | |
| 19 March 1918 | Luxor | 3,571 | Sunk | |
| 23 March 1918 | Sequoya | 5,263 | Damaged | |
| 29 March 1918 | India | 5,990 | Damaged | |
| 29 March 1918 | T. R. Thompson | 3,538 | Sunk | |
| 31 March 1918 | Alcinous | 6,743 | Damaged | |
| 31 March 1918 | Excellence Pleske | 2,059 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1918 | Australier | 3,687 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1918 | Broderick | 4,321 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1918 | La Somme | 1,477 | Sunk | |
| 30 April 1918 | Ella Sayer | 2,549 | Sunk | |
| 30 April 1918 | Umba | 2,042 | Sunk | |
| 1 May 1918 | Canonesa | 6,683 | Damaged | |
| 2 May 1918 | Unity | 1,091 | Sunk | |
| 22 May 1918 | Red Rose | 423 | Sunk | |
| 23 May 1918 | HMS Moldavia | 9,500 | Sunk | |
| 26 May 1918 | Kyarra | 6,953 | Sunk | |
| 27 May 1918 | Joseph Simone | 8 | Sunk | |
| 27 May 1918 | Petit Georges | 10 | Sunk | |
| 27 May 1918 | Souvenir de Ste Marie | 7 | Sunk | |
| 30 May 1918 | War Panther | 5,260 | Damaged | |
| 31 May 1918 | Galileo | 6,287 | Damaged | |
| 30 June 1918 | Wilton | 4,281 | Damaged | |
| 2 July 1918 | Royal Sceptre | 3,858 | Damaged | |
| 2 July 1918 | Shirala | 5,306 | Sunk | |
| 6 July 1918 | Huntscraft | 5,113 | Damaged | |
| 5 August 1918 | Tuscan Prince | 5,275 | Damaged | |
| 8 August 1918 | Clan Macvey | 5,815 | Sunk | |
| 9 August 1918 | Glenlee | 4,915 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
edit- ^ Rössler 1979, p. 55.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 57". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 57". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
Bibliography
edit- 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.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.