SM U-54

SM U-54 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-54 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-54.

History
German Empire
Name: U-54
Ordered: 23 August 1914
Builder: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down: 18 March 1915
Launched: 22 February 1916
Commissioned: 25 May 1916
Fate: 24 November 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at Taranto in May 1919.[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: Type U 51 submarine
Displacement:
  • 715 t (704 long tons) surfaced
  • 902 t (888 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height: 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught: 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion: 2 shafts
Speed:
  • 17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth: 50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement: 36
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer[3]
  • 16 May 1916 – 19 May 1917
  • Kptlt. Kurt Heeseler[4]
  • 20 May 1917 – 22 March 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Ruckteschell[5]
  • 23 March – 11 November 1918
Operations: 12 patrols
Victories:
  • 26 merchant ships sunk (66,691 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged (15,362 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk (1,290 tons)

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[6]
3 February 1917 Tamara  Norway 453 Sunk
4 February 1917 Floridian  United Kingdom 4,777 Sunk
4 February 1917 Palmleaf  United Kingdom 5,489 Sunk
5 February 1917 Ainsdale  United Kingdom 1,825 Damaged
5 February 1917 Azul  United Kingdom 3,074 Sunk
7 February 1917 Wallace  United Kingdom 3,930 Damaged
7 February 1917 Saxonian  United Kingdom 4,855 Sunk
15 March 1917 Eugene Pergeline  France 2,203 Sunk
1 April 1917 Consul Persson  Norway 1,835 Sunk
1 April 1917 Fjelland  Norway 387 Sunk
2 April 1917 Havlyst  Norway 532 Sunk
3 June 1917 San Lorenzo  United Kingdom 9,607 Damaged
7 June 1917 Jonathan Holt  United Kingdom 1,523 Sunk
13 June 1917 Darius  United Kingdom 3,426 Sunk
23 July 1917 Ashleigh  United Kingdom 6,985 Sunk
23 July 1917 Huelva  United Kingdom 4,867 Sunk
25 July 1917 Rustington  United Kingdom 3,071 Sunk
26 July 1917 Somerset  United Kingdom 7,163 Sunk
31 July 1917 Alcides  Norway 2,704 Sunk
16 September 1917 Arabis  United Kingdom 3,928 Sunk
17 September 1917 Niemen  France 1,888 Sunk
19 September 1917 Marthe Marguerite  France 588 Sunk
24 September 1917 Louis Bossert  Norway 605 Sunk
25 September 1917 Marceau  France 292 Sunk
30 April 1918 HMS Starmount  Royal Navy 2,485 Damaged
8 May 1918 Dux  United Kingdom 1,349 Sunk
8 May 1918 Princess Dagmar  United Kingdom 913 Sunk
10 May 1918 Wileysike  United Kingdom 2,501 Sunk
16 July 1918 HMS Anchusa  Royal Navy 1,290 Sunk
27 September 1918 En Avant  France 86 Sunk
29 September 1918 Libourne  United Kingdom 1,219 Sunk

References

Notes
  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Kurt Heeseler (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hellmuth von Ruckteschell (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 54". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.

Bibliography
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
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