SM UC-37

SM UC-37 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 20 November 1915 and was launched on 5 June 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 October 1916 as SM UC-37.[Note 1] In 13 patrols UC-37 was credited with sinking 66 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-37 was surrendered at Sevastopol on 25 November 1918 and broken up at Bizerta in August 1921.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-37.
History
German Empire
NameUC-37
Ordered20 November 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number278[1]
Launched5 June 1916[1]
Commissioned17 October 1916[1]
FateSurrendered, 25 November 1918; broken up, 1920[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 509 t (501 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.65 m (12 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph), submerged
Range
  • 10,180 nmi (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 54 nmi (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla
  • 12 January 1917 – 18 July 1918
  • Constantinople Flotilla
  • 18 July – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Otto Launburg[4]
  • 13 October 1916 – 1 July 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Willy List[5]
  • 2 July 1917 – 9 January 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Otto Kümpel[6]
  • 10 January – 14 November 1918
Operations: 13 patrols
Victories:
  • 65 merchant ships sunk
    (85,805 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (200 tons)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (20,829 GRT)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (7,350 tons)

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-37 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 509 tonnes (501 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 3.65 m (12 ft). 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 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 54 nautical miles (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,180 nautical miles (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-37 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[7]
1 January 1917 Britannic  Norway 2,289 Sunk
2 January 1917 Aristotelis C. Ioannou  Greece 2,868 Sunk
2 January 1917 Dimitrios Goulandris  Greece 3,744 Sunk
2 January 1917 Notre Dame Du Verger  France 227 Sunk
3 January 1917 Capricieuse  France 156 Sunk
3 January 1917 Fama  Norway 2,417 Sunk
4 January 1917 Liberte  France 166 Sunk
4 January 1917 Luigi Ciampa  Kingdom of Italy 3,988 Sunk
4 January 1917 Seemel  Russian Empire 209 Sunk
4 January 1917 Wragby  United Kingdom 3,641 Sunk
5 January 1917 Combermere  Kingdom of Italy 1,718 Sunk
26 February 1917 Gerolamo Ulloa  Kingdom of Italy 4,283 Damaged
26 February 1917 Victoria  Greece 1,388 Sunk
3 March 1917 Craigendoran  United Kingdom 2,789 Sunk
5 March 1917 Salvatore  Kingdom of Italy 119 Sunk
27 March 1917 Nr. 62  French Navy 200 Sunk
31 March 1917 Galatee  France 3,062 Damaged
3 April 1917 Ernest Simons  France 5,555 Sunk
3 April 1917 Saint Simon  France 3,419 Sunk
4 April 1917 San Giovanni Battiste  Kingdom of Italy 46 Sunk
14 April 1917 Gange  French Navy 6,886 Sunk
16 April 1917 Sagres  Portugal 2,986 Sunk
21 April 1917 Warrior  United Kingdom 3,674 Sunk
28 April 1917 Niobe  Kingdom of Italy 66 Sunk
29 April 1917 Giuseppe Maria  Kingdom of Italy 99 Sunk
30 April 1917 Colbert  French Navy 5,394 Sunk
2 May 1917 Camerata  United Kingdom 3,723 Damaged
5 May 1917 Dina Di Lozenzo  Kingdom of Italy 127 Sunk
5 May 1917 Harmattan  United Kingdom 4,792 Sunk
15 June 1917 Assunzione  Kingdom of Italy 3,770 Sunk
8 August 1917 Breton  France 3,739 Sunk
11 October 1917 Unidentified Sailing Vessel 14 Sunk
31 October 1917 Evangelistria  Greece 17 Sunk
1 November 1917 Marigo  Kingdom of Italy 24 Sunk
3 November 1917 A.S. 160  Greece 20 Sunk
3 November 1917 Essichia  Greece 30 Sunk
5 November 1917 Caterina  Kingdom of Italy 30 Sunk
23 December 1917 Dunedin  United Kingdom 4,796 Damaged
12 February 1918 Aghios Nicolaos  Greece 20 Sunk
14 February 1918 Ventmoor  United Kingdom 3,456 Sunk
15 February 1918 San Rito  United Kingdom 3,310 Sunk
17 March 1918 Waihemo  United Kingdom 4,283 Sunk
21 March 1918 Termini  Kingdom of Italy 1,523 Sunk
25 March 1918 Warturm  United Kingdom 4,965 Damaged
26 March 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 31 Sunk
26 March 1918 Unidentified sailing vessel  Greece 15 Sunk
26 March 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 15 Sunk
29 March 1918 Porto Santo  Portugal 2,801 Sunk
8 July 1918 San Nicola  Greece 50 Sunk
14 July 1918 Hagios Zion  Greece 4 Sunk
15 July 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 2 Sunk
15 July 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 14 Sunk
17 July 1918 Unidentified Sailing vessel  Greece 35 Sunk
19 August 1918 Marie Suzanne  United Kingdom 3,106 Sunk
19 August 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 58 Sunk
19 August 1918 NN155a  Greece 30 Sunk
19 August 1918 S919a  Greece 80 Sunk
19 August 1918 SS165  Greece 65 Sunk
19 August 1918 V108a  Greece 60 Sunk
19 August 1918 V135  Greece 20 Sunk
19 August 1918 V62a  Greece 30 Sunk
24 August 1918 AS19  Greece 35 Sunk
24 August 1918 S275  Greece 35 Sunk
24 August 1918 A59a  Greece 35 Sunk
26 August 1918 Evangtelistria  Greece 20 Sunk
27 August 1918 Unidentified Sailing Vessel  Greece 31 Sunk
27 August 1918 C57a  Greece 14 Sunk
28 August 1918 V214a  Greece 12 Sunk
28 August 1918 S804qu  Greece 53 Sunk
29 August 1918 A56a  Greece 31 Sunk
29 August 1918 121B  Greece 124 Sunk
30 August 1918 HMS Endymion  Royal Navy 7,350 Damaged

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 37". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Launburg (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Willy List". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Kümpel". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 37". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 22 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.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
  • 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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