SM U-90
![]() | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | U-90 |
Ordered | 23 June 1915 |
Builder | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig |
Yard number | 34 |
Laid down | 29 December 1915 |
Launched | 12 January 1917 |
Commissioned | 2 August 1917 |
Fate | Surrendered 20 November 1918; foundered in tow 1919 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Type U 87 submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in) |
Draught | 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 × 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers |
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 32 enlisted |
Armament |
|
Service record | |
Part of: |
|
Commanders: |
|
Operations: | 7 patrols |
Victories: |
SM U-90 was a Type U-87 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.[5] Its commander Walter Remy made regular stops at remote island North Rona for provisions such as fresh mutton. On 15 May 1918, U-90 shelled the Hirta wireless station in St Kilda, Scotland. On 31 May 1918, U-90 torpedoed and sank USS President Lincoln, a former Hamburg America Line steamer that had been seized by the United States for troop transportation. From the U.S. Navy crew that abandoned the sinking vessel, U-90 captured Lieutenant Edouard Izac, eventually taking him to Germany. Izac later escaped German captivity and reported to the US Navy about German submarine movements.
U-90 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 20 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany, and later laid up at Pembroke. She was to be loaned to Belgium, and was en route there in tow from Pembroke when she foundered off the Isle of Wight on 29 November 1919.[6]
Design
[edit]Type U 87 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 81 submarines. U-90 had a displacement of 757 tonnes (745 long tons) when at the surface and 998 tonnes (982 long tons) while submerged.[1] She had a total length of 65.80 m (215 ft 11 in), a pressure hull length of 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in), and a draught of 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in). The submarine was powered by two 2,400 metric horsepower (1,800 kW; 2,400 shp) engines for use while surfaced, and two 1,200 metric horsepower (880 kW; 1,200 shp) engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[1]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8.6 knots (15.9 km/h; 9.9 mph).[1] When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 11,380 nautical miles (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-90 was fitted with four 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (two at the bow and two at the stern), ten to twelve torpedoes, and one 10.5-centimetre (4.1 in) deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).[1]
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 September 1917 | Union Republicaine | ![]() | 44 | Sunk |
27 September 1917 | Deux Jeannes | ![]() | 50 | Sunk |
27 September 1917 | Liberte | ![]() | 49 | Sunk |
27 September 1917 | Peuples Freres | ![]() | 41 | Sunk |
30 September 1917 | Drake | ![]() | 2,267 | Sunk |
30 September 1917 | Heron | ![]() | 885 | Sunk |
1 October 1917 | Neuilly | ![]() | 2,186 | Sunk |
3 October 1917 | Jeannette | ![]() | 226 | Sunk |
20 November 1917 | Robert Morris | ![]() | 146 | Sunk |
21 November 1917 | Aros Castle | ![]() | 4,460 | Sunk |
22 January 1918 | Corton | ![]() | 3,405 | Damaged |
22 January 1918 | Victor De Chavarri | ![]() | 2,957 | Sunk |
24 January 1918 | Charles | ![]() | 78 | Sunk |
25 January 1918 | Normandy | ![]() | 618 | Sunk |
26 January 1918 | Union | ![]() | 677 | Sunk |
30 January 1918 | Lindeskov | ![]() | 1,254 | Sunk |
31 January 1918 | Martin Gust | ![]() | 248 | Sunk |
1 February 1918 | Arrino | ![]() | 4,484 | Sunk |
16 March 1918 | Oilfield | ![]() | 4,000 | Sunk |
28 March 1918 | City of Winchester | ![]() | 114 | Sunk |
8 April 1918 | Superb | ![]() | 489 | Sunk |
29 May 1918 | Begum | ![]() | 4,646 | Sunk |
29 May 1918 | Carlton | ![]() | 5,265 | Sunk |
31 May 1918 | USS President Lincoln | ![]() | 18,168 | Sunk |
15 August 1918 | USS Montanan | ![]() | 6,659 | Sunk |
15 August 1918 | J. M. J. | ![]() | 54 | Sunk |
16 August 1918 | USS West Bridge | ![]() | 5,189 | Damaged |
17 August 1918 | Escrick | ![]() | 4,151 | Sunk |
17 August 1918 | Joseph Cudahy | ![]() | 3,302 | Sunk |
24 August 1918 | Graciosa | ![]() | 2,276 | Sunk |
14 October 1918 | Dundalk | ![]() | 794 | Sunk |
16 October 1918 | Pentwyn | ![]() | 3,587 | Sunk |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Gröner 1991, pp. 12–14.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Remy (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Helmut Patzig (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Heinrich Jeß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 90". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. pp. 31, 98, 124. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 90". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- Dodson, Aidan (2020). "A's & A's: Japan's U-boats". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2020. Oxford, UK: Osprey. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-4728-4071-4.
- 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.