SM UC-10 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 14 November 1914 and was launched on 15 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 17 July 1915 as SM UC-10.[Note 1] Mines laid by UC-10 in her 30 patrols were credited with sinking 18 ships. UC-10 was torpedoed and sunk on 21 August 1916 by British submarine HMS E54 at position 52°02′N 03°54′E / 52.033°N 3.900°E / 52.033; 3.900.[1]

History
German Empire
NameUC-10
Ordered14 November 1914[1]
BuilderAG Vulcan, Hamburg[2]
Yard number54[1]
Launched15 July 1915[1]
Commissioned17 July 1915[1]
FateSunk by HMS E54, 21 August 1916[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType UC I submarine
Displacement
  • 168 t (165 long tons), surfaced
  • 183 t (180 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft3.04 m (10 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph), surfaced
  • 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph), submerged
Range
  • 780 nmi (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement14
Armament
  • 6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes
  • 12 × UC 120 mines
  • 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record[1]
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 19 December 1915 – 21 August 1916
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Ernst Rosenow
  • 17 July – 3 November 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Max Viebeg
  • 4 November – 8 December 1915
  • Oblt.z.S. Alfred Nitzsche
  • 9 December 1915 – 13 June 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Saltzwedel
  • 14 – 26 June 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Albrecht
  • 27 June – 21 August 1916
Operations: 30 patrols
Victories:
  • 16 merchant ships sunk
    (30,406 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (598 tons)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (16,627 GRT)

Design

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A Type UC I submarine, UC-10 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 183 tonnes (180 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.04 m (10 ft). The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 metric horsepower (66 kW; 89 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 knots (11.48 km/h; 7.13 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 knots (9.67 km/h; 6.01 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 780 nautical miles (1,440 km; 900 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-10 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.[3]

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
30 December 1915 Ellewoutsdijk   Netherlands 2,229 Sunk
4 January 1916 Leto   Netherlands 3,225 Sunk
5 January 1916 Fridtjof Nansen   Norway 3,275 Sunk
21 January 1916 Apollo   Netherlands 799 Sunk
22 January 1916 Falls City   United Kingdom 4,729 Damaged
25 February 1916 Southford   United Kingdom 963 Sunk
26 February 1916 Birgit   Sweden 1,117 Sunk
29 February 1916 Malvina   United Kingdom 1,244 Damaged
7 March 1916 HMS Coquette   Royal Navy 335 Sunk
7 March 1916 HMS TB 11   Royal Navy 263 Sunk
11 March 1916 Zaandijk   Netherlands 4,189 Damaged
18 March 1916 Palembang   Netherlands 6,674 Sunk
3 April 1916 Ino   Norway 702 Sunk
26 April 1916 Dubhe   Netherlands 3,233 Damaged
26 April 1916 Noordzee   Netherlands 298 Sunk
1 May 1916 Hendon Hall   United Kingdom 3,994 Sunk
2 May 1916 Rochester City   United Kingdom 1,239 Sunk
22 May 1916 Rhenass   United Kingdom 285 Sunk
27 May 1916 Lincairn   United Kingdom 3,638 Sunk
1 June 1916 Parkgate   United Kingdom 3,232 Damaged
20 August 1916 Dragoon   United Kingdom 30 Sunk
3 September 1916 Rievaulx Abbey   United Kingdom 1,166 Sunk
11 December 1916 Nora   Denmark 772 Sunk

References

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Notes

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

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 10". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 173.
  3. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 10". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 December 2014.

Bibliography

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  • Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
  • 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.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.