SM U-55

SM U-55 in Yokosuka
History
German Empire
NameU-55
Ordered23 August 1914
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number237
Laid down28 December 1914
Launched18 March 1916
Commissioned8 June 1916
Renamed
  • O-3 in 1920
  • Auxiliary Vessel No. 2538 in 1923
Fate
  • Surrendered to Japan on 26 November 1918
  • Served with them as O-3 between 1920 and 1921
  • Dismantled by June 1921
  • Briefly recommissioned in 1923 as Auxiliary Vessel No. 2538
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeType U 51 submarine
Displacement
  • 715 t (704 long tons) surfaced
  • 902 t (888 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 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:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Wilhelm Werner[2]
  • 9 June 1916 – 9 August 1918
  • Kptlt. Alexander Weiß[3]
  • 10 August – 14 September 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans Friedrich[4]
  • 15 September – 11 November 1918
Operations: 14 patrols
Victories:
  • 61 merchant ships sunk
    (126,010 GRT)
  • 3 auxiliary warship sunk
    (7,732 GRT)
  • 7 merchant ships damaged
    (26,161 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (3,466 GRT)[5]

SM U-55 was one of the six Type U-51 U-boats of the Imperial German Navy during the First World War.

  1. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Wilhelm Werner (Pour le Mérite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alexander Weiß". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Friedrich". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U-55". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.