SM UC-3

SM UC-3 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 28 May 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 1 June 1915 as SM UC-3.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-3 in her 29 patrols were credited with sinking 22 ships and damaging 2 others. UC-3 was caught in a net, detected by hydrophone, and sunk on 23 April 1916.[3][1]

"UC-3" redirects here. For other uses, see UC3 (disambiguation).
For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-3.

History
German Empire
Name: UC-3
Ordered: by November 1914[1]
Builder: AG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number: 47[1]
Launched: 23 April 1916[3]
Commissioned: 1 June 1915[1]
Fate: sunk 23 April 1916[3]
General characteristics [4]
Class and type: German Type UC I submarine
Displacement:
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length:
Beam: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft: 3.04 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 depth: 50 m (160 ft)
Complement: 14
Armament:
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Erwin Weisbach[5]
  • 1 June – 26 September 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Erwin Waßner[6]
  • 27 September 1915 – 12 May 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Günther Kreysern[7]
  • 13–27 May 1916
Operations: 29 patrols
Victories:
  • 16 merchant ships sunk (28,483 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged (1,909 GRT)
  • 6 warships sunk (2,109 tons)

Design

A German Type UC I submarine, UC-3 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).[4]

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-3 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.[4]

Fate

SM UC-3 was the first submarine to be detected and sunk using a hydrophone. On 23 April 1916 she was detected using a hydrophone, trapped in a net, and then quickly sunk after a large explosion.[3] The ship that sank her was the anti-submarine trawler Cheerio, captained by Thomson.[8]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[9]
5 July 1915 Peik  Norway 1,168 Sunk
14 July 1915 Vivid  Belgium 150 Sunk
20 July 1915 HMY Rhiannon  Royal Navy 137 Sunk
21 July 1915 HMT Briton  Royal Navy 196 Sunk
12 September 1915 Ashmore  United Kingdom 2,519 Sunk
14 October 1915 Salerno  United Kingdom 2,071 Sunk
16 October 1915 Volscian  United Kingdom 570 Damaged
17 October 1915 HMT Javelin  Royal Navy 205 Sunk
25 October 1915 Selma  Norway 1,654 Sunk
6 November 1915 Alastair  United Kingdom 366 Sunk
11 November 1915 Rhineland  United Kingdom 1,501 Sunk
17 November 1915 Ulriken  Norway 2,379 Sunk
29 November 1915 HMS Duchess of Hamilton  Royal Navy 553 Sunk
10 December 1915 Nereus  Norway 742 Sunk
11 December 1915 Pinegrove  United Kingdom 2,847 Sunk
18 December 1915 Nico  Norway 712 Sunk
21 December 1915 HMS Lady Ismay  Royal Navy 495 Sunk
27 December 1915 Hadley  United Kingdom 1,777 Sunk
14 January 1916 Breslau  United Kingdom 1,339 Damaged
18 January 1916 Auvergne  French Navy 523 Sunk
8 February 1916 Argo  United Kingdom 1,720 Sunk
28 February 1916 Thornaby  United Kingdom 1,782 Sunk
26 May 1916 Denewood  United Kingdom 1,221 Sunk
3 June 1916 Golconda  United Kingdom 5,874 Sunk

Notes
  1. "SM" stands for Seiner Majestäts (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the "U" for Unterseeboot translates as "His Majesty's Submarine".
  2. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 3". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. Brodie, Bernard; Brodie, Fawn M. (1973). From Crossbow to H-bomb: the evolution of tactics and warfare (First Midland ed.). Indiana University Press. p. 184. ISBN 0253201616. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  4. Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erwin Weisbach". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erwin Waßner (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Günther Kreysern". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  8. Thomas, Lowell (July 1929). "Fighting the Submarine". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 3". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

References
  • 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.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.
  • 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.
  • 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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