SM UB-83

SM UB-83 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 October 1917 as SM UB-83.[Note 1]

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-83.
History
German Empire
Name:	UB-83
Ordered:	23 September 1916[1]
Builder:	AG Weser, Bremen
Cost:	3,341,000 German Papiermark
Yard number:	283
Launched:	15 September 1917[2]
Commissioned:	15 October 1917[2]
Fate:	sunk 10 September 1918 by British warships at 58°28′N 1°50′W[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced 647 t (637 long tons) submerged
Length:	55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam:	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught:	3.72 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	2 × propeller shaft 2 × Daimler four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,050 bhp (780 kW) 2 × BBC electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed:	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:	8,180 nmi (15,150 km; 9,410 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	50 m (160 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament:	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	V Flotilla 24 December 1917 – 10 September 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Günther Krause[3] 15 October 1917 – 9 June 1918 Oblt.z.S. Hans Buntebardt[4] 10 June – 10 September 1918
Operations:	6 patrols
Victories:	1 merchant ship sunk (634 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (6,970 GRT)

UB-83 was sunk on 10 September 1918 by HMS Ophelia off Orkney at 58°28′N 1°50′W, all 35 of the crew members died in the event.[2]

Construction

She was built by AG Weser of Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 15 September 1917. UB-83 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Günther Krause. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-83 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-83 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,180 nautical miles (15,150 km; 9,410 mi). UB-83 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 647 t (637 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 2]	Fate[5]
23 March 1918	Aulton	United Kingdom	634	Sunk
23 March 1918	Meline	United Kingdom	6,970	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. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

1. Rössler 1979, p. 55.
2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Günther Krause". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Buntebardt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 83". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

Bibliography

• Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.
• Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)