SM U-50

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-50.
History
German Empire
NameU-50
Ordered4 August 1914
BuilderKaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number28
Launched31 December 1915
Commissioned4 July 1916
FateSunk probably by a mine off Terschelling on or after 31 August 1917 [1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeType U-43 submarine
Displacement
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,000 PS (1,471 kW; 1,973 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) surfaced
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 11,400 nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 51 nmi (94 km; 59 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement36
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 4 July 1916 – 31 August 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Gerhard Berger[3]
  • 4 July 1916 - 31 August 1917
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories: 27 merchant ships sunk
(92,924 GRT)

SM U-50[Note 1] was one of 329 submarines in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

U-50 is most notable for sinking the Laconia, formerly an armed merchant cruiser which had returned to passenger service, killing two Americans before the United States had entered the war. Laconia was also the 15th largest ship destroyed by submarine in the war.[4]

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 50". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  2. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Gerhard Berger". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Largest ships". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.


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