UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-51.
History
German Empire
NameUB-51
Ordered20 May 1916[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number296
Launched8 March 1917[2]
Commissioned26 July 1917[2]
FateSurrendered 16 January 1919; broken up at Swansea[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeGerman Type UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 516 t (508 long tons) surfaced
  • 651 t (641 long tons) submerged
Length55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,040 nmi (16,740 km; 10,400 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:
  • Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla
  • 19 October 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Ernst Krafft
  • 26 July 1917 – 27 November 1918
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories:
  • 18 merchant ships sunk
    (47,514 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (257 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (3,905 GRT)

SM UB-51 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 Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 26 July 1917 as SM UB-51.[Note 1]

She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-51 was surrendered 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following orders by Admiral Reinhard Scheer to return to port. UB-51 was later broken up at Swansea.[2]

Construction

UB-51 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 8 March 1917. UB-51 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Ernst Krafft. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-51 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-51 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740 km; 10,400 mi). UB-51 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 651 t (641 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[3]
30 September 1917 Amiral Troude  France 1,876 Sunk
5 October 1917 Forestmoor  United Kingdom 2,844 Sunk
12 October 1917 Themis  Norway 7,403 Sunk
17 November 1917 Clan Maccorquodale  United Kingdom 6,517 Sunk
27 November 1917 Tungue  Portugal 8,021 Sunk
8 February 1918 Cimbrier  United Kingdom 3,905 Damaged
10 May 1918 Szechuen  United Kingdom 1,862 Sunk
16 May 1918 Mansoura  France 50 Sunk
18 May 1918 Mabrouka  France 25 Sunk
18 May 1918 Tewfig El Bari  France 100 Sunk
18 May 1918 Maria  France 60 Sunk
18 May 1918 Menewar  France 270 Sunk
18 May 1918 Mabrouka  France 25 Sunk
27 May 1918 Leasowe Castle  United Kingdom 9,737 Sunk
29 May 1918 Missir  United Kingdom 786 Sunk
11 July 1918 Bacchus  France 2,045 Sunk
20 July 1918 Kosseir  United Kingdom 1,855 Sunk
22 July 1918 HMT Ijuin  Royal Navy 257 Sunk
22 July 1918 L 1  United Kingdom 130 Sunk
28 July 1918 Hyperia  United Kingdom 3,908 Sunk

References

Notes

  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

  1. ↑ Rössler, p.65
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-51". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

Bibliography

  • 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). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945 (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

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