SM U-9
 U-9 ready for patrol.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} German Empire | |
| Name | U-9 |
| Ordered | 15 July 1908 |
| Builder | Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig |
| Launched | 22 February 1910 |
| Commissioned | 18 April 1910 |
| Fate | Surrendered 26 November 1918. Broken up at Morecambe in 1919. |
| Class and type | German Type U 9 submarine |
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Kaiserliche Marine: I Flottille |
| Commanders: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Otto Weddigen Johannes Spiess |
| Operations: | 7 |
| Victories: |
list error: <br /> list (help) 13 ships sunk for a total of 8636 GRT 5 warships sunk for a total of 44173 tons |
SM U-9 was a German Type U 9 U-boat built for the Kaiserliche Marine. Her construction was ordered on 15 July 1908 and her keel was laid down by Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig. She was launched on 22 February 1910 and commissioned on 18 April 1910.
Career
On 16 July 1914 the crew of U-9 reloaded her torpedo tubes while submerged, the first time any submarine had succeeded in doing so.
On 1 August 1914, Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen took command. On 22 September, while patrolling the Broad Fourteens, a region of the southern North Sea, U-9 found a squadron of three obsolescent British Cressy-class armoured cruisers, sardonically nicknamed the Live Bait Squadron, which were assigned to prevent German surface vessels from entering the Eastern end of the English Channel. She fired all six of her torpedoes, reloading while submerged, and in less than an hour sank the three cruisers, HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, and HMS Cressy. 1459 British sailors died.[1] It was one of most notable submarine actions. Members of the Admiralty who had considered submarines to be mere toys no longer expressed that opinion after this event. On 15 October she sunk the protected cruiser HMS Hawke.
On 12 January 1915, Johannes Spiess relieved Weddigen, and commanded U-9 until 19 April 1916. During this period, she sank 13 ships totalling 8.635 tons: 10 small fishing vessels and three British steamers (Don, Queen Wilhelmina and Serbino).
After April 1916, she was withdrawn from front-line duties and used for training.
Besides the raider SMS Emden (1906), the U-9 is the only ship on which Kaiser Wilhem II ever awarded an Iron Cross.
References
- ^ "Sinking of HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue by U-9". World War 1 Naval Combat. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
See also
External links
- "WWI U-boats - U 9". U-boat.net. Retrieved 2007-05-27.
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