SM UB-113

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-113.
History
German Empire
NameUB-113
Ordered6 / 8 February 1917[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number319
Launched23 September 1917[2]
Commissioned25 April 1918[2]
FateLost September / October 1918[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeType UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 519 t (511 long tons) surfaced
  • 649 t (639 long tons) submerged
Length55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker[3]
  • 25 April – 14 September 1918
Operations: 2 patrols
Victories: 3 merchant ships sunk
(4,013 GRT)

SM UB-113 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 25 April 1918 as SM UB-113.[Note 1]

UB-113 was lost in the autumn of 1918 for unknown reasons.[2] According to recent sources, SM UB-113 probably crossed paths with the French gunboat l'Engageante on 29 August in the Gulf of Gascony and was sunk. Occasional confusion with the SM UB-123, which also met a mysterious fate, remains.

Construction

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She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched in Hamburg on 23 September 1917. UB-113 was commissioned in the spring of the next year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-113 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with an 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-113 would carry a crew of up to 3 officers and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-113 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
21 July 1918 Kongen  Norway 714 Sunk
17 August 1918 Eros  United Kingdom 1,122 Sunk
23 September 1918 Aldershot  United Kingdom 2,177 Sunk

References

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Notes

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  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

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  1. ^ Rössler 1979, p. 66.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 113". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

Bibliography

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