SM UC-63

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-63.

History
German Empire
NameUC-63
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
BuilderAG Weser, Bremen[2]
Yard number261[1]
Laid down3 April 1916[1]
Launched6 January 1917[1]
Commissioned30 January 1917[1]
FateTorpedoed and sunk by HMS E52 on 1 November 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeGerman Type 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
Speed
  • 11.9 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 April – 1 November 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Karsten von Heydebreck[4]
  • 30 January – 1 November 1917
Operations: 9 patrols
Victories:
  • 33 merchant ships sunk
    (35,526 GRT)
  • 3 auxiliary warships sunk
    (374 GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged
    (4,639 GRT)

SM UC-63 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 6 January 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 30 January 1917 as SM UC-63.[Note 1] In nine patrols UC-63 was credited with sinking 36 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-63 was torpedoed and sunk by HMS E52 off Goodwin Sands on 1 November 1917; only one crewman survived the sinking.[1]

Design[edit]

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-63 had a displacement of 422 tonnes (415 long tons) when at the surface and 504 tonnes (496 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 51.85 m (170 ft 1 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 59 nautical miles (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-63 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Service career[edit]

UC-63 entered service on 30 January 1917, under the command of Oblt Karsten von Heydebreck. She was assigned to the Flanders U-boat Flotilla, based at Bruges in occupied Belgium.

UC-63 carried out nine war patrols, operating mainly in the North Sea against British fishing trawlers. She had considerable success, sinking seven and damaging two more in a single day in June 1917. In August 1917 she fought an action against two armed trawlers, HMS Nelson and HMS Boy Alfred. Both of these were sunk, and the crew of Ethel & Millie were picked up by the U-boat, after which they were not seen again. The suspicion then, and subsequently, is that they were disposed of by the U-boat commander, perhaps by being left to drown while the U-boat submerged.[5] The German government had made it clear they regarded the crews of merchant ships who fought back against U-boat attacks as francs-tireurs, and thus liable to execution.[6]

Before her loss in November 1917, UC-63 sank 36 ships, totalling 35,900 GRT, and damaged four more, in a nine month career.[1]

Fate[edit]

On 1 November 1917, while operating off the Goodwin Sands, UC-63 was sighted by British submarine HMS E52. She was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of all but one of her 27 crew.

Summary of raiding history[edit]

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[7]
26 April 1917 Amsteldjik  Netherlands 186 Sunk
10 May 1917 Gruno  Netherlands 171 Sunk
27 June 1917 Longbenton  United Kingdom 924 Sunk
28 June 1917 Frigate Bird  United Kingdom 20 Sunk
28 June 1917 Elsie  United Kingdom 20 Sunk
28 June 1917 Frances  United Kingdom 20 Sunk
28 June 1917 Glenelg  United Kingdom 32 Sunk
28 June 1917 Harbinger  United Kingdom 39 Sunk
28 June 1917 Rose of June  United Kingdom 20 Sunk
28 June 1917 William And Betsy  United Kingdom 21 Sunk
28 June 1917 Frank  United Kingdom 21 Damaged
28 June 1917 Diligence  United Kingdom 20 Damaged
30 June 1917 Markersdal  Denmark 1,640 Sunk
1 July 1917 Advance  United Kingdom 44 Sunk
1 July 1917 Gleam  United Kingdom 54 Sunk
1 July 1917 Radiance  United Kingdom 57 Sunk
31 July 1917 Empress  United Kingdom 2,914 Sunk
2 August 1917 Young Bert  United Kingdom 59 Sunk
6 August 1917 Alfred  France 107 Sunk
6 August 1917 Fane  Norway 1,119 Sunk
6 August 1917 Zamora  United Kingdom 3,639 Damaged
7 August 1917 Onesta  Kingdom of Italy 2,674 Sunk
8 August 1917 Marie Jesus Protegez Nous  France 46 Sunk
14 August 1917 Thames  United Kingdom 403 Sunk
14 August 1917 Costanza  Kingdom of Italy 2,545 Sunk
14 August 1917 Luna  Norway 959 Damaged
15 August 1917 HMS Ethel And Millie (as HMS Boy Alfred)  Royal Navy 58 Sunk
15 August 1917 HMS G & E (as HMS Nelson)  Royal Navy 61 Sunk
15 August 1917 Alice  United Kingdom 25 Sunk
22 September 1917 Italia  France 627 Sunk
24 September 1917 Perseverance  France 2,873 Sunk
24 September 1917 Europe  France 2,839 Sunk
25 September 1917 Dinorah  France 4,208 Sunk
25 September 1917 HMT James Seckar  Royal Navy 255 Sunk
24 October 1917 Ulfsborg  Denmark 2,040 Sunk
28 October 1917 Baron Garioch  United Kingdom 1,831 Sunk
29 October 1917 Marne  France 979 Sunk
4 November 1917 Lyra  Norway 1,141 Sunk
25 November 1917 Oriflamme  United Kingdom 3,764 Sunk
4 December 1917 Brigitta  United Kingdom 2,084 Sunk

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "SM" stands for Seiner Majestäts (English: His Majesty's) and combined with "U" for Unterseeboot translates as "His Majesty's Submarine".
  2. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173
  3. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Karsten von Heydebreck". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  5. ^ Ritchie p125
  6. ^ Ritchie p159
  7. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 63". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

Bibliography[edit]

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