SM UC-56

The damaged UC-56 at Santander, Spain, on 24 May 1918.
History
German Empire
NameUC-56
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
BuilderKaiserliche Werft, Danzig[2]
Yard number38[1]
Laid down4 March 1916[1]
Launched26 August 1916[1]
Commissioned18 December 1916[1]
FateInterned at Santander, Spain, 24 May 1918[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 415 t (408 long tons), surfaced
  • 498 t (490 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.61 m (11 ft 10 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph), surfaced
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph), submerged
Range
  • 8,660–9,450 nmi (16,040–17,500 km; 9,970–10,870 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 meters (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Baltic Flotilla
  • 20 August – 10 December 1917
  • Flandern I Flotilla
  • 10 December 1917 – 24 May 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Johannes Remy[4]
  • 18 December 1916 – 31 January 1917
  • Kptlt. Wilhelm Kiesewetter[5]
  • 1 February 1917 – 24 May 1918
Operations: 6 patrols
Victories: 1 auxiliary warship sunk
(6,824 GRT)

SM UC-56 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916, laid down on 4 March 1916, and was launched on 26 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 December 1916 as SM UC-56.[Note 1] In six patrols UC-56 was credited with sinking one ship by torpedo: the British hospital ship HMHS Glenart Castle. UC-56 suffered from mechanical breakdowns that prevented her from submerging. She put in at Santander, Spain, on 24 May 1918 and was interned there for the duration of the war.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 56". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Johannes Remy". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Wilhelm Kiesewetter". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 March 2015.


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