SM U-62

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-62.
History
German Empire
NameU-62
Ordered6 October 1914
BuilderAG Weser, Bremen
Yard number217
Laid down22 June 1915
Launched2 August 1916
Commissioned30 December 1916
Fate22 November - Surrendered. Broken up at Bo'ness in 1919-20
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeType U 57 submarine
Displacement
  • 768 t (756 long tons) surfaced
  • 956 t (941 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (oa)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Height8.05 m (26 ft 5 in)
Draught3.79 m (12 ft 5 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
  • 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) surfaced
  • 8.4 knots (15.6 km/h; 9.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 11,400 nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 49 nmi (91 km; 56 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:
  • II Flotilla
  • 15 February 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Ernst Hashagen[2]
  • 30 December 1916 – 24 December 1917
  • Kptlt. Otto Wiebalck[3]
  • 25 December 1917 – 9 March 1918
  • Kptlt. Ernst Hashagen[4]
  • 10 March – 11 November 1918
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 45 merchant ships sunk
    (109,117 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (10,767 tons)[5]
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (12,927 GRT)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (16,483 GRT)

SM U-62 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-62 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

On 8 March 1917, SM U-62 sank the coal freighter Storstad, the ship that had rammed and sunk the RMS Empress of Ireland ocean liner in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.

On 7 August 1918, she torpedoed the French armoured cruiser Dupetit-Thouars, which sank with the loss of 13 of her crew.

  1. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Hashagen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Wiebalck". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ernst Hashagen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 62". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 17 December 2014.