SM UC-61

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-61.

50°53′35″N 1°39′52″E / 50.893028°N 1.664444°E / 50.893028; 1.664444

Remains of the shipwreck of SM UC-61 revealed by low tide at Wissant beach (50°53'34.9"N 1°39'52.0"E), in France (December 2018)
History
German Empire
NameUC-61
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
BuilderAG Weser, Bremen[2]
Yard number259[1]
Laid down3 April 1916[1]
Launched11 November 1916[1]
Commissioned13 December 1916[1]
FateStranded at Wissant near Calais; flooded and scuttled, 26 July 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 422 t (415 long tons), surfaced
  • 504 t (496 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.67 m (12 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
Speed11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph), surfaced*7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged
Range
  • 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 59 nmi (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes30-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 27 February – 26 July 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Georg Gerth[4]
  • 13 December 1916 – 26 July 1917
Operations: 5 patrols
Victories:
  • 10 merchant ships sunk
    (13,594 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (7,578 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (227 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (3,476 GRT)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (570 tons)

SM UC-61 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 3 April 1916, and was launched on 11 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 13 December 1916 as SM UC-61.[Note 1] In five patrols UC-61 was credited with sinking or damaging 12 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.[5] UC-61 was stranded at Wissant, south of Calais on 26 July 1917 on her way to mine Newhaven. The U-boat's crew flooded and scuttled their ship[1] before surrendering to French authorities. The wreckage silted up but in some years becomes visible at low tide offshore in Wissant.[6] As of 24 January 2019, the submarine had been partially visible since December 2018, and some locals were hopeful that due to shifting winds and tides, the submarine would be visible more often.[7][5]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 61". 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: Georg Gerth". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b Geggel, Laura; January 15, Senior Writer |; ET, 2019 06:27am (15 January 2019). "WWI German Sub Spotted Off French Coast, 100 Years After Its Crew Surrendered". Live Science. Retrieved 24 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "German WW1 submarine emerges off French coast". BBC News. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  7. ^ "German WW1 U-boat emerges off French coast". 12 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.


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