History
Kaiserliche Marine
NameU-92
General characteristics

SM U-92 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I. She was engaged in the commerce warfare in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Construction of U-92 was ordered in August 1915, and her keel was laid in August 1916 at the Kaiserliche Werft yard in Danzig.[1] She was launched in October 1917, and sunk by mine 9 September 1918.[2]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). she joined the Kiel School 2 November 1917.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). 30 January.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Again, she scored no victories, but was in the vicinity of Skaw, at the time the commerce raider Wolf stranded a prize, Igotz Mendi, for two days.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). She was again assigned to the southwest Ireland station. On this long patrol, from which she returned to Kiel on about 28 May (Room 40 was uncertain of the date),Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). but was prevented from scoring and suffered damage in a collision.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

  • Operations:
    • 1 January - 30 January 1918. From Heligoland around Scotland to northern part of Bay of Biscay. Heavy fog, reported no sinkings. Returned around Scotland, Muckle Flugga, .
    • 24 February - 23 March 1918. From Wilhelmshaven via Kiel Canal to Kiel, Baltic[3], then via Denmark and around Scotland to south-west Ireland. On the way out was in neighbourhood of the Skaw for 2 days in connection with the stranding of the German raider’s WOLF prize IGOTZ MENDI. On 4 March 1918 she attacked the armed steam ship S.S British Princess, 7034 BRT, by torpedo without warning, causing 1 dead. The ship was damaged and could reach port[4]. No sinkings on this cruise. , Back around Scotland and by Sound to Kiel.
    • 24 April - ? 28 May 1918. From Heligoland via Kiel Canal to the Baltic, then via Denmark and around Scotland, Fair Island, to south-west of Ireland, back by Scotland, Muckle Flugga, Sound, and Kiel Canal to Wilhelmshaven [5]. Was four times engaged by enemy forces (once by seaplane). No sinkings.
      After the cruise Kptlt. Bieler was relieved of his command, which was the usual practise for C.O.s without sinkings in 3 consecutive cruises. [6].
    • 29 June - 22 July 1918. Kptlt. Ehrlich. From Wilhelmshaven to Heligoland and around Scotland to the south-west of Ireland. Attacked by H.M. submarine E42 on second day out south of the Dogger Bank by 2 torpedoes, which missed[7]. U-92 attacked a convoy on 9 July, was chased off and damaged by ramming[8] Boat made 2 tons of water, and was heavily damaged. She could only dive with great problems, but continued its cruise. Returned via Scotland, Sound, and Kiel Canal to Wilhelmshaven. By 14 July claimed 22,000 tons sinkings[9]:
      • 8.7.1918, S.S. Ben Lomond, 2814 BRT, British armed Steam Ship, sunk, torpedoed without warning 30 miles S.E. of Daunts Rock. 23 Lives lost, including Master;
      • 8.7.1918, S.S. Mars, 3550 BRT, British armed Steam Ship, sunk, torpedoed without warning in a convoy of 30 ships 74 miles W. by N. from Bishop Rock;
      • 10.7.1918 S.V. Charles Theriault, 339 BRT, British armed Sailing Vessel, attacked by gun, damaged, towed in;
      • 11.7.1918 S.S. Westover, 5590 BRT, U.S. Steam Ship, from New York to France, torpedoed without warning at wind force 6, sunk;
      • 13.7.1918 S.S. Ramon de Larrinaga, 3058 BRT, Spanish Steam Ship, sunk with warning by 2 torpedoes;
    • 4 September 1918. Wilhelmshaven, Kiel Canal, Skagerrak, into North Sea. Was sunk by a mine in the Northern Barrage (Area B), a brand-new, gigantic US mine-barrier between south Norway and north Scotland, on 9 September 1918, in about 59°N., 1°30'W. [10] All hands lost: 42 officer and men.[11]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Koerver, Hans Joachim. Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being (Steinbach, Germany: LIS Reinisch, 2009).
  2. ^ Koerver.
  3. ^ Handelskrieg, V, p. 36. The North Sea was temporarily too heavily mined, so the way via the Baltic seemed more safe, but took 2 days journey more.
  4. ^ Handelskrieg, V, p. 36+37.
  5. ^ Handelskrieg, V, p. 36+37.
  6. ^ Koerver, Room 40, Vol 1, Fleet in Action.
  7. ^ Handelskrieg, V, p. 310+311.
  8. ^ Handelkrieg, V, p. 310+311 says 8.7.1918.
  9. ^ See National Archives, Kew, UK: ADM 137/4814 and 4817, also: Handelskrieg, V, 310+311.
  10. ^ where her wreck has been found end of 2007 by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency ship Anglian Sovereign
  11. ^ Handelskrieg, Vol 5

References edit

  • Spindler, Arno (1932,1933,1934,1941/1964,1966). Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. 5 Vols. Berlin: Mittler & Sohn. Vols. 4+5, dealing with 1917+18, are very hard to find: Guildhall Library, London, has them all, also Vol. 1-3 in an English translation: The submarine war against commerce. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  • Beesly, Patrick (1982). Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. London: H Hamilton. ISBN 978-0241108642.
  • Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1857284980.
  • Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3763759637.
  • Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3763762354.
  • Koerver, Hans Joachim (2008). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol I., The Fleet in Action. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-76-3.
  • Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-77-0.

External links edit

Category:World War I submarines of Germany




Lingua nautica edit

Just so it doesn't get challenged or taken out as unsupported, time in harbor between patrols is a refit period, so it's safe to say so. Also, Bieler seems to have suffered lack of nerve, judging by his poor results. And I'd like to say if she was driven off by escorts or by an aggressive merchie in her collision; if she doesn't sink, I hesitate to call it ramming, & it also suggests it wasn't an escort (which would seem more likely to sink her). TREKphiler any time you're ready, Uhura 20:39, 25 December 2009 (UTC)