UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-52.
History
German Empire
NameUB-52
Ordered20 May 1916[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number297
Launched8 March 1917[2]
Commissioned9 August 1917[2]
FateSunk 23 May 1918 at 41°36′N 18°52′E / 41.600°N 18.867°E / 41.600; 18.867 by HMS H4, all hands lost[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 I Flotilla
  • 13 October 1917 – 23 May 1918
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Otto Launburg
  • 9 August 1917 – 23 May 1918
Operations: 4 patrols
Victories:
  • 12 merchant ships sunk
    (41,411 GRT)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (27,076 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (227 GRT)

SM UB-52 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 9 August 1917 as SM UB-52.[Note 1]

She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-52 was sunk by torpedo on 23 May 1918 at 41°36′N 18°52′E / 41.600°N 18.867°E / 41.600; 18.867 by the British submarine HMS H4 enforcing the Otranto Barrage at the southern end of the Adriatic, with all hands lost.[2]

Construction

UB-52 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-52 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Otto Launburg.

Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-52 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-52 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-52 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 January 1918 Empress Ekaterina II  Russian Empire 5,545 Sunk
1 February 1918 La Dives  France 2,108 Sunk
4 February 1918 Maid of Harlech  United Kingdom 315 Sunk
4 February 1918 Sardinia  United Kingdom 6,580 Damaged
5 February 1918 HMS Rosina Ferrara  Royal Navy 227 Damaged
9 February 1918 Antenor  United Kingdom 5,319 Damaged
18 February 1918 Basque  France 3,261 Damaged
20 February 1918 Balgray  United Kingdom 3,603 Sunk
20 February 1918 Zeno  United Kingdom 2,890 Sunk
17 March 1918 Ivydene  United Kingdom 3,541 Sunk
18 March 1918 John H. Barry  United Kingdom 3,083 Sunk
18 March 1918 Saldanha  United Kingdom 4,594 Sunk
4 April 1918 Sincerita  Kingdom of Italy 1,722 Sunk
2 May 1918 Flawyl  United Kingdom 3,592 Sunk
9 May 1918 Atlantique  France 6,479 Damaged
11 May 1918 Suzette Fraissinet  France 2,288 Sunk
12 May 1918 Omrah  United Kingdom 8,130 Sunk
18 May 1918 Media  United Kingdom 5,437 Damaged

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-52". 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). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. 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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