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SM UC-38

20°22′E / 38.250°N 20.367°E / 38.250; 20.367
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History
German Empire
NameUC-38
Ordered20 November 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number279[1]
Launched25 June 1916[1]
Commissioned26 October 1916[1]
FateDepth charged, 14 December 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 509 t (501 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.65 m (12 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph), submerged
Range
  • 10,180 nmi (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 54 nmi (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Pola / Mittelmeer Flotilla
  • 23 January – 14 December 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Albrecht von Dewitz[4]
  • 19 – 29 October 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Alfred Klatt[5]
  • 19 October 1916 – 4 August 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans Hermann Wendlandt[6]
  • 5 August – 14 December 1917
Operations:9 patrols
Victories:
  • 36 merchant ships sunk
    (50,414 GRT)
  • 3 warships sunk
    (9,308 tons)
  • 4 auxiliary warships sunk
    (2,586 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (13,352 GRT)

SM UC-38 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 20 November 1915 and was launched on 25 June 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 26 October 1916 as SM UC-38.[Note 1] UC 38 was a successful commerce raider, operating throughout her career in the Mediterranean theatre. In nine patrols UC-38 was credited with sinking 43 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. She was sunk in December 1917 in an action off Cape Ducato, Greece, during which she torpedoed the French cruiser Chateaurenault.

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-38 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 509 tonnes (501 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 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 54 nautical miles (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,180 nautical miles (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-38 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.[3]

Action off Cape Ducato

On 14 December 1917, by 38°15′N 20°22′E / 38.250°N 20.367°E / 38.250; 20.367, under Hans Hermann Wendlandt,[7] UC-38 met a French convoy comprising the fast cruiser Chateaurenault, serving as a troopship, and her escorts Mameluk, Rouen and Lansquenet.[8] UC-38 approached and fired one torpedo on Chateaurenault, which was hit in her middle section at 6:47. UC-38 dived at 38 metres, while the Mameluk and Rouen rushed to the launching position of the torpedo, and Lansquenet started picking up people thrown overboard by the explosion. Chateaurenault requested her escorts to close in and evacuate personnel, which was completed by 07:26. The trawler Balsamine came to the rescue and made attempts to take Chateaurenault in tow.[8]

Back to periscope depth, UC-38 saw Chateaurenault still afloat, and fired a second torpedo, which hit at 8:20; Chateaurenault foundered quickly, but all personnel still alive aboard could be rescued. Lansquenet, in the process of picking up her launches, rushed to the launching point and fired 7 depth charges. One caused a light leak in the submarine; Captain Wendlandt ordered a dive to bring his ship below the area targeted by the grenades, but a false manœuvre made UC-38 climb instead, and a second explosion caused a large leak, forcing Wendlandt to crash surface and abandon ship.[7][8]

UC-38 surfaced briefly and was immediately targeted by the guns of Mameluk, which continued her attack by launching several depth charges. UC-38 surfaced again, and this time both Mameluk and Lansquenet opened fire, hitting her several times and killing several of her crew as they exited. She sank at 8:40, and the French destroyers picked up the survivors.[7][8]

German sources claim that 25 men were rescued and 9 killed; a sailor of UC-38 claimed that 20 men were saved out of a 28-man crew; French enquiry reports 20 rescued and 5 confirmed dead out of a 27-man crew.[7]

Sinking

Sir Ronald Ross, first British Nobel laureate for his discovery of the malaria vector, embarked aboard the cruiser Châteaurenault at Taranto, Italy, on 13 December 1917 on his way to Salonika. Ross recounts the moment the SM UC-38 was destroyed in his 1923 memoirs:

"Suddenly all the soldiers began pointing in one direction and one behind me said ‘Voyez monsieur’. There, 200 yards from us, was the deck of an emerging submarine. She had been touched by one of our depth-charges. Her crew were jumping off her deck into the sea, one after the other, as fast as they could like frogs. In another minute a storm of shells and shot ploughed up the water round her. The our captain yelled out ‘Asseyez vous’. We were going to fire off our own big gun...Our shell took effect; up rose the stern of the submarine and then slowly down she slid, as her victim had done, leaving a number of pink heads dotting the water – Boches clamouring to be saved. A Frenchman near me was handing round pistols to shoot at them, but our captain promptly stopped that. Boats went out and rescued 18 of the German crew; they came aboard naked and shivering but happy! For some reason we were all happy together."[9]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage[Note 2]Fate[10]
16 February 1917Laertis Greece3,914Sunk
19 February 1917Quinto Kingdom of Italy1,796Sunk
20 February 1917Doravore Norway2,760Sunk
22 February 1917Adelina Kingdom of Italy528Sunk
22 February 1917Ape Kingdom of Italy301Sunk
22 February 1917Giovanni P. Kingdom of Italy105Sunk
22 February 1917Michielino Kingdom of Italy20Sunk
22 February 1917San Michele Kingdom of Italy583Sunk
22 February 1917Vincenzino Kingdom of Italy20Sunk
24 February 1917Albina Kingdom of Italy187Sunk
27 February 1917Elena M. Kingdom of Italy125Sunk
27 February 1917S. Ciro Palmerino Kingdom of Italy113Sunk
24 March 1917Emanuela Kingdom of Italy16Sunk
31 March 1917Brodness United Kingdom5,736Sunk
1 April 1917Warren United Kingdom3,709Sunk
2 April 1917Filicudi Regia Marina257Sunk
3 April 1917Annunziata A Kingdom of Italy206Sunk
3 April 1917Caterina R. Kingdom of Italy214Sunk
3 April 1917Domenico Kingdom of Italy260Sunk
3 April 1917Nuova Maria Di Porto Salvo Kingdom of Italy48Sunk
12 April 1917Monviso Kingdom of Italy4,020Damaged
13 June 1917St. Andrews United Kingdom3,613Sunk
15 June 1917Elvaston United Kingdom4,130Damaged
15 June 1917Pasha United Kingdom5,930Sunk
15 June 1917Saint Louis V France5,202Damaged
12 July 1917Grace United States1,861Sunk
15 July 1917L.B.S. 1011 Greece20Sunk
15 July 1917L.B.S. 29 Greece10Sunk
15 July 1917HMS Redbreast Royal Navy1,313Sunk
16 July 1917Firfield United Kingdom4,029Sunk
16 July 1917Unidentified Sailing Vessel Greece20Sunk
17 July 1917HMS Newmarket Royal Navy833Sunk
18 July 1917K.507 Greece40Sunk
28 August 1917Pasqualino Carmela Kingdom of Italy61Sunk
28 August 1917Scilla Kingdom of Italy397Sunk
29 August 1917Vronwen United Kingdom5,714Sunk
22 September 1917Garifaglia Greece430Sunk
23 September 1917Agios Nicolaos Greece119Sunk
3 November 1917Nefeli Greece3,868Sunk
7 November 1917Villemer United States3,627Sunk
11 November 1917HMS M15 Royal Navy540Sunk
11 November 1917HMS Staunch Royal Navy750Sunk
14 November 1917Panormitis Greece20Sunk
14 November 1917Panaghia Greece14Sunk
6 December 1917Tubereuse French Navy183Sunk
14 December 1917Châteaurenault French Navy8,018Sunk

References

Notes

Citations

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. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (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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