German Type UE II submarine

The Type UE II submarines were a class of submarines built by the German Empire during World War I as long-range mine-layers.

SM U-117 at Cape Charles
Class overview
Builders:
  • AG Vulkan, Hamburg
  • Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Operators:  Imperial German Navy
Subclasses: U-122
Built: 1917–1918
In commission: 1917–1918
Completed: 10
Lost: 4
Scrapped: 6
General characteristics
Type: Ocean-going mine-laying submarine
Displacement: 1,164 t (1,146 long tons) surfaced; 1,512 t (1,488 long tons) submerged
Length: 81.52 and 82.00 m (267 ft 5 in and 269 ft 0 in)
Beam: 7.42 m (24 ft 4 in)
Draft: 4.22 m (13 ft 10 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp)
  • two Brown, Boveri & Cie. electric motors 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp)
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed:
  • 14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 11,470 and 13,900 nmi (21,240 and 25,740 km; 13,200 and 16,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth: 75 m (246 ft)
Complement: 4 officers, 36 enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems:		 2 periscopes
Armament:

UE II boats carried 14 torpedoes and were armed with one 150 mm deck gun. They carried a crew of 40 and had a cruising range of about 9,400 miles. Nine were built between 1917 and 1918.[1]

The UE IIs joined the conflict in the middle of 1917, at a time when the tide of the war was turning against Germany. In the months beforehand, the United States Navy was added to the ranks of their enemies; and the convoy system was introduced, making it difficult to engage enemy merchant shipping without being spotted by destroyer escorts.[2] Because they entered service late in the war, the UE IIs only sank 24 ships and damaged 3 others before the end of hostilities. SM U-117 was by far the most successful U-boat, taking credit for 21 ships sunk out of the total of 24 for the entire type.[3] The UE II's were the last of the UE class U-boats built by the German Imperial Navy; the last of the class, U-126, was commissioned on 3 October 1918, a little over a month before the armistice at Compiègne.[4]

Post-war years

Following the end of the war, all of the Type UE II submarines were handed over to the allies as part of the Treaty of Versailles. SM U-117 was handed over to the United States where she remained in the Philadelphia Navy Yard along with other U-boats. In June 1921 she was taken out to sea and sunk as a target for aerial bombing tests conducted by the Navy and Army.[3] SM U-118 was turned over to France but got washed ashore at Hastings in Sussex where she remained until being finally broken up in December 1919.[5] SM U-119 was surrendered to France in November 1918. She was renamed the René Audry and saw service in the French Navy and was eventually broken up in October 1937.[6] SM U-120 was transferred to Italy in November 1918. She was broken up soon after in April 1919.[7] SM U-122 was surrendered to England on 26 November 1918. She later ran aground on the English east coast while on her journey to Scapa Flow.[8] Like SM U-122, SM U-123 also ran aground on the English coast where she was broken up.[9] SM U-124 was surrendered in December 1918 and was later broken up in Swansea in 1921.[10] SM U-125 Surrendered to Japan in late November 1918. She served in the Japanese Navy as the O1 in 1920-21. between January and March 1921, U-125 was dismantled at Yokosuka Navy Yard.[11] SM U-126 was handed over to the allies in November 1918 and later broken up at Upnor in 1923.[4]

Ships sunk by Type UE II submarines
Ships sunk or damaged by Type UE II submarines[12][13][14]
DateNameTonnageNationalityU-boat credited with loss
10 August 1918Aleda May31AmericanU-117
10 August 1918Cruiser28AmericanU-117
10 August 1918 Earl & Nettie24AmericanU-117
10 August 1918Katie L. Palmer31AmericanU-117
10 August 1918Mary E. Sennett26AmericanU-117
10 August 1918On Time18AmericanU-117
10 August 1918Progress34AmericanU-117
10 August 1918Reliance19AmericanU-117
10 August 1918William H. Starbuck53AmericanU-117
12 August 1918Sommerstad3,875NorwegianU-117
13 August 1918Frederic R. Kellogg*7,127AmericanU-117
14 August 1918Dorothy B. Barrett2,088AmericanU-117
15 August 1918Madrugada1,613AmericanU-117
16 August 1918Mirlo6,978BritishU-117
17 August 1918Nordhav2,846NorwegianU-117
24 August 1918Bianca*408BritishU-117
26 August 1918Rush162AmericanU-117
27 August 1918Bergsdalen2,555NorwegianU-117
30 August 1918Elsie Porter136BritishU-117
30 August 1918Potentate136BritishU-117
16 September 1918Wellington5,600BritishU-118
29 September 1918Minnesota*18,000AmericanU-117
4 October 1918San Saba2,458AmericanU-117
2 October 1918Arca4,938BritishU-118
18 October 1918Njordur278IcelandU-122
27 October 1918Chaparra1,510CubanU-117
9 November 1918Saetia2,873AmericanU-117

* Ship was damaged

List of Type UE II submarines

There were 9 Type UE II submarines commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine.

References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat Types: Type UE 2". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  2. Goebel, Greg (24 December 2008). "The First Battle of the Atlantic". Vectorsite.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 126". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 118". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 119". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 120". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 122". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 123". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U-124". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U-125". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 117". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  13. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 118". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  14. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by Ships hit by U-122". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 24 January 2010.

Bibliography
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

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