SM U-139

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-139.
German U-boat U-139
History
German Empire
NameU-139
Ordered1 August 1916
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number300
Launched3 December 1917
Commissioned18 May 1918
RenamedHalbronn
FateSurrendered to France on 24 November 1918
France
NameHalbronn
Acquired24 November 1918
Decommissioned24 July 1935
FateBroken up
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeType U 139 submarine
Displacement
  • 1,930 t (1,900 long tons) surfaced
  • 2,483 t (2,444 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 9.12 m (29 ft 11 in) (o/a)
  • 5.75 m (18 ft 10 in) (pressure hull)
Height5.27 m (17 ft 3 in)
Draught11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 3,300 PS (2,427 kW; 3,255 shp)
  • 2 × 450 PS (331 kW; 444 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,780 PS (1,309 kW; 1,756 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 × 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) propellers
Speed
  • 15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 12,630 nmi (23,390 km; 14,530 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 53 nmi (98 km; 61 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged
Test depth75 m (246 ft 1 in)
Complement6 (1) officers, 56 (20) enlisted – (prize crew)
Armament
Service record[2]
Part of:
  • U-Kreuzer Flotilla
  • Unknown start – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (6,301 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (487 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (2,502 GRT)
Triangular weather flag of SM U-139. Flag is red with white circle in the middle.
Weather flag of SM U-139 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

SM U-139 was the lead ship of her class, one of the submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was commissioned on 18 May 1918 under the command of Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, who named the submarine Kapitänleutnant Schwieger, after Walther Schwieger, who had sunk the Lusitania in 1915. She only sailed on one war patrol, during which she sunk four ships. U-139 surrendered to France on 24 November 1918 and shortly afterwards became French submarine Halbronn (until 24 July 1935 when she was broken up).

  1. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 19–21.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 139". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.