SM U-34 (Germany)

History
German Empire
NameU-34
Ordered29 March 1912
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number194
Laid down7 November 1912
Launched9 May 1914
Commissioned5 October 1914
FateMissing as of 18 October 1918
General characteristics
Class and typeType U 31 submarine
Displacement
  • 685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 × shafts
  • 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed
  • 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph) (surfaced)
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 dinghy
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • II Flotilla
  • Unknown start - 23 August 1915
  • Pola / Mittelmeer Flotilla
  • 23 August 1915 - 21 October 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Claus Rücker[1]
  • 5 October 1914 – 11 December 1916
  • Kptlt. Johannes Klasing [2]
  • 12 December 1916 – 17 January 1918
  • 14 March – 9 November 1918
  • Kptlt. Wilhelm Canaris[3]
  • 18 January – 13 March 1918
Operations: 17 patrols
Victories:
  • 119 merchant ships sunk
    (257,652 GRT)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (14,208 GRT)

SM U-34[Note 1] was a German U-boat of World War I. Launched on 9 May 1914, U-34 sank a total of 119 ships during 17 combat patrols, while damaging another 5 ships. The vessel had three commanders during its time: Kptlt. Claus Rucker, Kptlt. Johannes Klasing, Kptlt. Wilhelm Canaris, and Klasing again, in that order. On 18 October 1918, U-34 sailed for the last time, disappearing with all 38 crew members lost. Although it was claimed that she was depth charged and sunk near Gibraltar by HMS Privet on 9 November 1918, it is believed that the U-boat had been lost prior to that, but it has never been confirmed one way or the other.

U-34 sailed 17 patrols, sinking 119 ships for a total of 257,652 gross register tons (GRT), and damaging another five for 14,208 GRT.[4]

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Claus Rücker (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Klasing (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Wilhelm Canaris". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 34". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.


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