SM U-81[Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I. U-81 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.[1]
History | |
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Name | U-81 |
Ordered | 23 June 1915 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 251 |
Laid down | 31 August 1915 |
Launched | 24 June 1916 |
Commissioned | 22 August 1916 |
Fate | 1 May 1917 - Torpedoed W of Ireland at 51°33′N 13°38′W / 51.550°N 13.633°W by HM Sub E54. 31 dead, seven survivors.[1] |
General characteristics [2] | |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 8.00 m (26 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 4.02 m (13 ft 2 in) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 × 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) propellers |
Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 4 officers, 31 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 5 patrols |
Victories: |
U-81 had one 10.5 cm gun with 140–240 rounds.[1] On 8 February 1917 she torpedoed Mantola 143 nautical miles (265 km; 165 mi) off Fastnet, forcing her crew and passengers to abandon her. She then shelled the drifting hulk until being chased away by the Acacia-class sloop HMS Laburnum. Mantola sank the next day.[4][5] HMS E54 sank U-81 by torpedo west of Ireland on 1 May 1917. 31 of U-81's crew were killed; seven survived.[1]
Design
editType U 81 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type UE I submarines. U-81 had a displacement of 808 tonnes (795 long tons) when at the surface and 946 tonnes (931 long tons) while submerged.[2] She had a total length of 70.06 m (229 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 55.55 m (182 ft 3 in), a beam of 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in), a height of 8 m (26 ft 3 in), and a draught of 4.02 m (13 ft 2 in). The submarine was powered by two 2,400 metric horsepower (1,800 kW; 2,400 shp) engines for use while surfaced, and two 1,200 metric horsepower (880 kW; 1,200 shp) engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph).[2] When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 11,220 nautical miles (20,780 km; 12,910 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-81 was fitted with four 50-centimetre (20 in) torpedo tubes (one at the starboard bow and one starboard stern), twelve to sixteen torpedoes, and one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-five (thirty-one crew members and four officers).[2]
Summary of raiding history
editDate | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 December 1916 | Douglas | 1,177 | Sunk | |
19 December 1916 | Nystrand | 1,397 | Sunk | |
2 February 1917 | Songdal | 2,090 | Sunk | |
3 February 1917 | Port Adelaide | 8,181 | Sunk | |
4 February 1917 | Maria | 992 | Sunk | |
5 February 1917 | Wartenfels | 4,511 | Sunk | |
7 February 1917 | Gravina | 1,242 | Sunk | |
8 February 1917 | Mantola | 8,253 | Sunk | |
10 February 1917 | Netherlee | 4,227 | Sunk | |
12 February 1917 | Hugo Hamilton | 2,577 | Sunk | |
10 March 1917 | Algol | 988 | Sunk | |
10 March 1917 | Skreien | 415 | Sunk | |
13 March 1917 | Coronda | 2,733 | Sunk | |
14 March 1917 | Paignton | 2,017 | Sunk | |
18 March 1917 | Pola | 3,061 | Sunk | |
18 March 1917 | Trevose | 3,112 | Sunk | |
19 March 1917 | Alnwick Castle | 5,900 | Sunk | |
19 March 1917 | Frinton | 4,194 | Sunk | |
22 March 1917 | Attika | 2,306 | Sunk | |
25 March 1917 | C. Sundt | 1,105 | Sunk | |
25 March 1917 | Garant | 735 | Sunk | |
25 March 1917 | Laly | 1,880 | Sunk | |
24 April 1917 | Amulree | 1,145 | Sunk | |
25 April 1917 | Glenesk | 1,369 | Sunk | |
25 April 1917 | Heathfield | 1,643 | Sunk | |
25 April 1917 | Invermay | 1,471 | Sunk | |
27 April 1917 | Uranus | 3,978 | Sunk | |
28 April 1917 | Jose De Larrinaga | 5,017 | Sunk | |
28 April 1917 | Terence | 4,309 | Sunk | |
30 April 1917 | Elisabeth | 217 | Damaged | |
1 May 1917 | Dorie | 3,264 | Damaged | |
1 May 1917 | San Urbano | 6,458 | Sunk |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
edit- ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 81". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Gröner 1991, pp. 12–14.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Raimund Weisbach". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Gairsoppa". Ships hit by U-boats. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "SS Mantola WWI shipwreck reveals silver haul". BBC News. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 81". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
Bibliography
edit- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.