SM UB-31
![]() SM UB-45, a U-boat similar to UB-31 | |
History | |
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Name | UB-31 |
Ordered | 22 July 1915[1] |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[1] |
Cost | 1,152,000 German Papiermark[2] |
Yard number | 255[1] |
Launched | 16 November 1915[1] |
Completed | 24 March 1916[1] |
Commissioned | 25 March 1916[2] |
Fate | Sunk 2 May 1918 by British warships[2] |
General characteristics [2] | |
Class and type | Type UB II submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Draught | 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 2 officers, 21 men |
Armament |
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Notes | 42-second diving time |
Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: | |
Operations: | 25 patrols |
Victories: |
SM UB-31[Note 1] was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 16 November 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 March 1916 as SM UB-31.
The submarine sank 27 ships in 25 patrols. UB-31 was depth charged and sunk by British warships HMS Lord Leitrim, HMS Loyal Friend, and HMS Ocean Roamer in the English Channel on 2 May 1918.[2] Alternatively she may have been sunk by a mine on that date.[6]
Design
[edit]A Type UB II submarine, UB-31 had a displacement of 274 tonnes (270 long tons) when at the surface and 303 tonnes (298 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 36.90 m (121 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two Benz six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total 270 metric horsepower (270 shp; 200 kW), two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors producing 280 metric horsepower (210 kW; 280 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.06 knots (16.78 km/h; 10.43 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.71 knots (10.57 km/h; 6.57 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 7,030 nautical miles (13,020 km; 8,090 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UB-31 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes, four torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of twenty-one crew members and two officers and a 42-second dive time.[2]
Summary of raiding history
[edit]Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[7] |
---|---|---|---|---|
9 April 1917 | Kittiwake | ![]() | 1,866 | Sunk |
24 April 1917 | Saint Jacques | ![]() | 415 | Damaged |
28 April 1917 | Medina | ![]() | 12,350 | Sunk |
21 May 1917 | City of Corinth | ![]() | 5,870 | Sunk |
15 June 1917 | Teesdale | ![]() | 2,470 | Damaged |
17 June 1917 | Stanhope | ![]() | 2,854 | Sunk |
5 July 1917 | Ocean Swell | ![]() | 195 | Sunk |
6 July 1917 | Ariadne Christine | ![]() | 3,550 | Damaged |
7 July 1917 | Bellucia | ![]() | 4,368 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Hildegard | ![]() | 622 | Sunk |
11 July 1917 | Brunhilda | ![]() | 2,296 | Sunk |
1 August 1917 | Alcyone | ![]() | 149 | Sunk |
1 August 1917 | Laertes | ![]() | 4,541 | Sunk |
2 August 1917 | Newlyn | ![]() | 4,019 | Sunk |
3 August 1917 | Renee Marthe | ![]() | 49 | Sunk |
8 August 1917 | Algerie | ![]() | 3,386 | Damaged |
8 September 1917 | Elizabeth | ![]() | 58 | Sunk |
9 September 1917 | Pluton | ![]() | 1,449 | Sunk |
19 October 1917 | Waikawa | ![]() | 5,666 | Sunk |
20 October 1917 | Colorado | ![]() | 7,165 | Sunk |
23 October 1917 | Lepanto | ![]() | 6,389 | Damaged |
19 November 1917 | Farn | ![]() | 4,393 | Sunk |
13 December 1917 | Britannic | ![]() | 92 | Sunk |
15 December 1917 | Sachem | ![]() | 5,354 | Damaged |
18 December 1917 | Riversdale | ![]() | 2,805 | Sunk |
20 December 1917 | Alice Marie | ![]() | 2,210 | Sunk |
20 December 1917 | Eveline | ![]() | 2,605 | Sunk |
20 December 1917 | Warsaw | ![]() | 608 | Sunk |
22 January 1918 | Admiral Cochrane | ![]() | 6,565 | Damaged |
22 January 1918 | Greatham | ![]() | 2,338 | Sunk |
24 January 1918 | Elsa | ![]() | 3,581 | Sunk |
28 February 1918 | Heenvliet | ![]() | 492 | Sunk |
20 March 1918 | Boorara | ![]() | 6,570 | Damaged |
24 April 1918 | Agnete | ![]() | 1,127 | Sunk |
25 April 1918 | Joseph | ![]() | 42 | Sunk |
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Rössler 1979, p. 64.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gröner 1991, pp. 23–25.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karl Vesper (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Thomas Bieber (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Wilhelm Braun". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "UB-31". U-Boat.net. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-31". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- 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.
- 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.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.
External links
[edit]- Croche, Paulo (2014) 'UB-31 Folkestone, Kent: Archaeological Report', Wessex Archaeology
- Historic England project to research First World War submarine wrecks. Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine