SM UC-4

SM UC-4 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 June 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 10 June 1915 as SM UC-4.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-4 in her 73 patrols were credited with sinking 36 ships. UC-4 was scuttled off the coast of Flanders during the German evacuation on 5 October 1918.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-4.
History
German Empire
NameUC-4
OrderedNovember 1914[1]
BuilderAG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number48[1]
Launched6 June 1915[1]
Commissioned10 June 1915[1]
FateScuttled off Flanders, 5 October 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeGerman Type UC I submarine
Displacement
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft3.04 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 depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement14
Armament
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:
  • Baltic Flotilla
  • 11 July 1915 – 4 February 1916
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 4 February – 19 March 1916
  • Baltic Flotilla
  • 19 March – 30 September 1916
  • Flandern / Flandern I Flotilla
  • 30 September 1916 – 2 October 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Karl Vesper[4]
  • 10 June – 28 December 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Moecke[5]
  • 29 December 1915 – 19 March 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Max Hamm[6]
  • 20 March – 15 August 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker[7]
  • 16 August – 14 September 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Gustav Buch[8]
  • 15 September – 20 October 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans Howaldt[9]
  • 21 October – 26 November 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Reimarus[10]
  • 27 November 1916 – 11 May 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Oskar Steckelberg[11]
  • 12 – 20 May 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Reimarus
  • 21 – 29 May 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Erich Hecht[12]
  • 30 May – 12 September 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Walter Schmitz[13]
  • 13 September 1917 – 19 January 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Kurt Loch[14]
  • 20 January – 26 February 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst Berlin[15]
  • 27 February – 21 April 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Schmidt[16]
  • 22 April – 2 October 1918
Operations: 73 patrols
Victories:
  • 21 merchant ships sunk
    (33,518 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (6,136 tons)
  • 14 auxiliary warships sunk
    (5,134 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (9,441 GRT)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-4 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-4 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]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[17]
15 August 1915 Ladoga  Imperial Russian Navy 6,136 Sunk
16 August 1915 Linnea (n-1)  Imperial Russian Navy 739 Sunk
12 February 1916 Aduatiek  Belgium 2,221 Sunk
12 February 1916 Cedarwood  United Kingdom 654 Sunk
13 February 1916 Tergestea  United Kingdom 4,308 Sunk
29 February 1916 Den of Ogil  United Kingdom 5,689 Damaged
27 October 1916 Bygdo  Norway 2,345 Sunk
28 October 1916 Sparta  United Kingdom 480 Sunk
9 November 1916 Sunniside  United Kingdom 447 Sunk
25 November 1916 HMT Burnley  Royal Navy 275 Sunk
3 December 1916 HMT Remarko  Royal Navy 245 Sunk
5 December 1916 HMT Tervani  Royal Navy 457 Sunk
7 January 1917 HMT Donside  Royal Navy 182 Sunk
18 January 1917 Dagmar  Denmark 758 Sunk
20 January 1917 HMT New Comet  Royal Navy 177 Sunk
13 February 1917 HMT Sisters Melville  Royal Navy 260 Sunk
23 February 1917 Grenadier  United Kingdom 1,004 Sunk
11 March 1917 Kwasind  United Kingdom 2,211 Sunk
12 March 1917 Ambient  United Kingdom 1,517 Sunk
12 March 1917 Pontypridd  United Kingdom 1,556 Sunk
3 June 1917 Giralda  United Kingdom 46 Sunk
4 July 1917 Chrysolite  United Kingdom 57 Sunk
7 July 1917 HMT Kelvin  Royal Navy 322 Sunk
20 July 1917 HMS Queen of the North  Royal Navy 594 Sunk
5 September 1917 HMT Eros  Royal Navy 286 Sunk
20 October 1917 HMT Vitality  Royal Navy 202 Sunk
11 November 1917 Lapwing  United Kingdom 1,192 Sunk
13 November 1917 Axminster  United Kingdom 1,905 Sunk
23 December 1917 Grantley Hall  United Kingdom 4,008 Sunk
25 February 1918 Rubio  United Kingdom 2,395 Sunk
26 February 1918 Berwen  United Kingdom 3,752 Damaged
5 March 1918 Coalgas  United Kingdom 2,257 Sunk
5 March 1918 Estrella  United Kingdom 1,740 Sunk
5 March 1918 Tusnastabb  Norway 1,136 Sunk
12 April 1918 Lonhelen  United Kingdom 1,281 Sunk
20 April 1918 HMT Numitor  Royal Navy 242 Sunk
25 April 1918 HMS St. Seiriol  Royal Navy 928 Sunk
26 June 1918 HMT Achilles II  Royal Navy 225 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 4". 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: Karl Vesper (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Friedrich Moecke". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Max Hamm". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Gustav Buch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Howaldt (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Georg Reimarus". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Oskar Steckelberg". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erich Hecht". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  13. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Schmitz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  14. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Loch". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  15. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Berlin". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  16. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Eberhard Schmidt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  17. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 4". 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.
  • 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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