SM U-51

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-51.

History
German Empire
Name	U-51
Ordered	23 August 1914
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	233
Laid down	19 December 1914
Launched	25 November 1915
Commissioned	24 February 1916
Fate	Sunk on 14 July 1916
General characteristics
Class and type	Type U 51 submarine
Displacement	715 t (704 long tons) surfaced 902 t (888 long tons) submerged
Length	65.20 m (213 ft 11 in) (o/a) 52.51 m (172 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa) 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height	7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught	3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power	2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion	2 shafts
Speed	17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range	9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement	36
Armament	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern) 7 torpedoes 2 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns
Service record
Part of:	I Flotilla Unknown start – 25 May 1916 II Flotilla 25 May – 14 July 1916
Commanders:	Kptlt. Walter Rumpel 19 February – 14 July 1916
Operations:	1 patrol
Victories:	None

SM U-51 was a Type U 51 submarine, one of 329 submarines in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She engaged in commerce warfare during the First Battle of the Atlantic.

She was ordered from Germaniawerft, at Kiel, on 23 August 1914 and laid down there on 19 December. She was launched on 25 November 1915 and commissioned on 24 February 1916. Kapitänleutnant Walter Rumpel was her captain for her entire career.

Operations

Completed at Kiel about March 1916, she carried out trials at Kiel School until the end of April when she proceeded to Heligoland. British Naval Intelligence (better known as Room 40): monitored and recorded her activities. She was attached to the 2nd Half Flotilla and carried out a patrol in the North Sea between 2 May and 6 May 1916, traveling to Hanstholm in company with SM U-70, escorted by two Zeppelins. She was again in the North Sea between 16 May and 3 June 1916, during the Battle of Jutland. She fired two torpedoes at the British battleship HMS Warspite, but missed her.

On 14 July the British submarine HMS H5 spotted U-51 leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four survivors were rescued.

The wreck of U-51 was raised and broken up in 1968.

Bibliography

• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.