For other ships named German submarine U-34, see German submarine U-34 (disambiguation).
UB-34
CountryGerman Empire
Ordered22 July 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[1]
Original cost1,152,000 German Papiermark[2]
Yard number258[1]
Launched28 December 1915[1]
Completed17 May 1916[1]
Commissioned10 June 1916[2]
FateSurrendered 26 November 1918[2]
SM UB-34
ClassType UB II submarine
Displacement
  • 274 t (270 long tons) surfaced
  • 303 t (298 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 3.85 m (12 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Draught3.69 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 9.06 knots (16.78 km/h; 10.43 mph) surfaced
  • 5.71 knots (10.57 km/h; 6.57 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,030 nmi (13,020 km; 8,090 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement2 officers, 21 men
Armament
Notes42-second diving time
SM UB-34
Partof
  • I Flotilla
  • 27 July 1916 – 1 February 1917
  • II Flotilla
  • 1 February – 10 September 1917
  • V Flotilla
  • 10 September 1917 – 3 May 1918
  • I Flotilla
  • 3 May – 9 September 1918
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 9 September – 6 October 1918
  • Training Flotilla
  • 6 October – 11 November 1918
Commanders
  • Oblt.z.S. Theodor Schultz
  • 10 June 1916 – 16 March 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Ludwig Schaafhausen
  • 17 March – 31 August 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Helmuth von Ruckteschell
  • 1 September 1917 – 30 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Erich Förste
  • 31 March – 8 September 1918
  • Lt.z.S. Hans Illing
  • 9 September - 6 October 1918
Operations21 patrol
Victories
  • 29 merchant ships sunk
    ()
  • 2 auxiliary warships sunk
    ()
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    ()
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    ()

SM UB-34[Note 1] was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 5 December 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 10 June 1916 as SM UB-34.

UB-34 sank 31 ships in 21 patrols. They included the William Cory and Son collier SS Hurstwood, which UB-34 torpedoed and sank in the North Sea off Whitby on 5 February 1917.[3]

The submarine served in the Training Flotilla at the end of the war and was surrendered on 26 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. UB-34 was broken up in Canning Town in 1922.[4]

Design

A Type UB II submarine, UB-34 had a displacement of 274 tonnes (270 long tons) when at the surface and 303 tonnes (298 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 36.90 m (121 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two Benz six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total 270 metric horsepower (270 hp; 200 kW), two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors producing 280 metric horsepower (210 kW; 280 hp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.06 knots (16.78 km/h; 10.43 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.71 knots (10.57 km/h; 6.57 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 7,030 nautical miles (13,020 km; 8,090 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UB-34 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes, four torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of twenty-one crew members and two officers and a 42-second dive time.[2]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage[Note 2]Fate[5]
21 October 1916UllNorway1,139Sunk
22 October 1916EffortUnited Kingdom159Sunk
23 October 1916ReginaNorway823Sunk
26 October 1916TitanUnited Kingdom171Sunk
18 December 1916ArranUnited Kingdom176Sunk
19 December 1916AnsgarNorway926Sunk
19 December 1916KornmoNorway591Sunk
19 December 1916BretlandDenmark2,025Captured as prize
20 December 1916EvaDenmark109Sunk
20 December 1916MereddioSweden1,372Sunk
5 February 1917HurstwoodUnited Kingdom1,229Sunk
6 February 1917FerruccioKingdom of Italy2,192Sunk
7 February 1917Corsican PrinceUnited Kingdom2,776Sunk
7 February 1917Saint NinianUnited Kingdom3,026Sunk
25 April 1917EsteDenmark1,420Sunk
7 September 1917GrelfrydaUnited Kingdom5,136Damaged
8 September 1917AladdinNorway753Sunk
27 September 1917GreltoriaUnited Kingdom5,143Sunk
29 September 1917BerthaNetherlands185Captured as prize
27 October 1917Lady HelenUnited Kingdom811Sunk
13 December 1917BangarthUnited Kingdom1,872Sunk
15 December 1917DafniGreece1,190Sunk
24 January 1918HMT Desire135Sunk
24 January 1918X6United Kingdom160Sunk
24 January 1918X110United Kingdom160Sunk
25 January 1918FolminaNetherlands1,158Sunk
25 January 1918HumberUnited Kingdom280Sunk
26 January 1918HartleyUnited Kingdom1,150Sunk
26 January 1918AthosNorway1,708Sunk
9 March 1918RandelsborgDenmark1,551Sunk
13 March 1918AdineNorway2,235Sunk
16 March 1918QuinteroDenmark1,611Sunk
21 April 1918LompocUnited Kingdom7,270Damaged
10 June 1918LowtyneUnited Kingdom3,231Sunk
22 September 1918HMT Elise239Sunk

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. ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. ^ Rössler 1979, p. 64.
  2. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 23–25.
  3. ^ Bendert 2000, p. 96.
  4. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 50–51.
  5. ^ ub34. Retrieved 10 December 2014.

Bibliography