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][6] The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

Design

A 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 hp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 hp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 hp), 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).^[7]

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.^[7]

Summary of raiding history

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. ^ UC+70. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
2. ^ Tarrant 1989, p. 173
3. ^ 81. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
4. ^ 180. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
5. ^ 53. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
6. ^ Jackson 1968, p. 114
7. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
8. ^ uc70. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
9. ^ "U-boat and merchant shipwrecks given protected status". BBC News. 20 August 2017. 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. Vol. 2. German Warships 1815–1945. 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