 SM U-52 (right) meeting U-35 (left)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | U-52 |
| Ordered | 23 August 1914 |
| Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number | 234 |
| Laid down | 13 March 1915 |
| Launched | 8 December 1915 |
| Commissioned | 16 March 1916 |
| Fate | 21 November 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Swansea in 1919. |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Type U 51 submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Height | 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in) |
| Draught | 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
| Complement | 36 |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: | 4 patrols |
| Victories: | |
SM U-52 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-52 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
U-52 was noted for sinking two notable warships, the first notable warship (and second kill) being the Royal Navy's light cruiser HMS Nottingham, sunk in the North Sea on 19 August 1916 at 55°34′N 00°12′E / 55.567°N 0.200°E. Thirty-eight men were lost.[8]
The sinking of Nottingham was an important event in the German Imperial Navy's action of August 19.[9]
At that time Otto Ciliax was watch officer on board the submarine. He later became an admiral in the Kriegsmarine.[10]
U-52's second notable warship kill was the French battleship Suffren, sunk 90 miles (140 km) west of Portugal at 39°30′N 11°00′W / 39.500°N 11.000°W.[11] on 26 November 1916. All 648 men were lost as the torpedo ignited a magazine and the ship sank within seconds.[12]
U-52 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. She was sold by the British Admiralty to George Cohen on 3 March 1919 for £2,400 (£117,300 in 2024) (excluding her engines), and was broken up at Swansea.[13]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[14] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 July 1916 | HMT Onward |  Royal Navy
|
266 | Sunk |
| 19 August 1916 | HMS Nottingham | Royal Navy
|
5,400 | Sunk |
| 26 September 1916 | HMY Conqueror II | Royal Navy
|
526 | Sunk |
| 26 September 1916 | HMT Sarah Alice | Royal Navy
|
299 | Sunk |
| 26 September 1916 | St. Gothard |  United Kingdom
|
2,788 | Sunk |
| 25 November 1916 | Egyptiana | United Kingdom
|
3,818 | Damaged |
| 25 November 1916 | Suffren |  French Navy
|
12,750 | Sunk |
| 10 December 1916 | Emma Laurans |  France
|
2,153 | Sunk |
| 30 March 1917 | Michelina Catalano |  Italy
|
78 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1917 | Missourian |  United States
|
7,924 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1917 | Ravenna | Italy
|
4,101 | Sunk |
| 5 April 1917 | Angel Marina | Italy
|
257 | Sunk |
| 7 April 1917 | Seward | United States
|
2,471 | Sunk |
| 8 April 1917 | Alba | Italy
|
1,639 | Sunk |
| 9 April 1917 | Esterel | France
|
2,574 | Sunk |
| 11 April 1917 | Ansgar |  Denmark
|
301 | Sunk |
| 12 April 1917 | Glencliffe | United Kingdom
|
3,673 | Sunk |
| 14 April 1917 | Tres Macs |  Portugal
|
163 | Sunk |
| 15 April 1917 | Cabo Blanco |  Spain
|
2,163 | Damaged |
| 16 April 1917 | Crios |  Greece
|
4,116 | Sunk |
| 19 April 1917 | Senhora Da Conceicao | Portugal
|
206 | Sunk |
| 20 April 1917 | Caithness | United Kingdom
|
3,500 | Sunk |
| 21 April 1917 | HMS Heather | Royal Navy
|
1,250 | Damaged |
| 23 April 1917 | Acadia |  Norway
|
1,556 | Sunk |
| 6 July 1917 | Flora | Norway
|
818 | Sunk |
| 9 July 1917 | Prince Abbas | United Kingdom
|
2,030 | Sunk |
| 11 July 1917 | Vanda |  Sweden
|
1,646 | Sunk |
| 12 July 1917 | Fredrika | Sweden
|
1,851 | Sunk |
| 17 July 1917 | HMS C34 | Royal Navy
|
321 | Sunk |
| 20 August 1917 | Bulysses | United Kingdom
|
6,127 | Sunk |
| 1 September 1917 | Tarapaca | France
|
2,506 | Sunk |
| 2 September 1917 | Wentworth | United Kingdom
|
3,828 | Sunk |
| 4 September 1917 | Peerless | United Kingdom
|
3,112 | Sunk |
| 5 September 1917 | Echunga | United Kingdom
|
6,285 | Sunk |
| 5 September 1917 | San Dunstano | United Kingdom
|
6,220 | Damaged |
| 11 September 1917 | Tobol |  Russia
|
3,741 | Sunk |
| 16 August 1918 | HMT Fylde | Royal Navy
|
256 | Damaged |
References
Notes
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Walther (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Spieß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Siegfried Claaßen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Waldemar Haumann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Krapohl". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Nottingham". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "HMS Nottingham".
- ^ "Organization of the Kriegsmarine". 4 August 2020.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Suffren". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "French Navy, World War 1".
- ^ Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 52". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
Bibliography
- 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.
This page was last edited on 18 November 2023, at 02:24