SM UB-31
![]() SM UB-45, a U-boat similar to UB-31
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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 | German Type UB II submarine |
Displacement |
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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 26 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
A German 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
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 | ![]() |
50 | 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 |
25 April 1918 | Joseph | ![]() |
42 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- ^ "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
- ^ 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
- 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.
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(help) - Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
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ignored (help) - 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.
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External links
- Croche, Paulo (2014) 'UB-31 Folkestone, Kent: Archaeological Report', Wessex Archaeology
- Historic England project to research First World War submarine wrecks.
- 1915 ships
- Ships built in Hamburg
- World War I submarines of Germany
- German Type UB II submarines
- U-boats commissioned in 1916
- Maritime incidents in 1918
- U-boats sunk in 1918
- U-boats sunk by depth charges
- U-boats sunk by British warships
- World War I shipwrecks in the English Channel
- Ships lost with all hands
- Protected Wrecks of the United Kingdom