SM UB-61

	UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-61.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-61
Ordered	20 May 1916
Builder	AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost	3,279,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	86
Launched	28 April 1917
Commissioned	23 June 1917
Fate	Sunk 29 November 1917 by mine at 53°20′N 4°56′E / 53.333°N 4.933°E, 34 dead
General characteristics
Class and type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	508 t (500 long tons) surfaced; 639 t (629 long tons) submerged;
Length	55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft; 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW); 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW);
Speed	13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced; 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged;
Range	8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced; 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 31 men
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern); 10 torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun;
Service record
Part of:	II Flotilla; 6 August 1916 – 10 September 1917; V Flotilla; 10 September – 29 November 1917;
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Theodor Schultz; 23 June – 29 November 1917;
Operations:	3 patrols
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk ; (12,920 GRT)

SM UB-61 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 23 June 1917 as SM UB-61.^{[Note 1]}

The submarine conducted three patrols and sank two ships during the war for a total loss of 12,920 gross register tons (GRT).

UB-61 was struck by a mine on 29 November 1917 at 53°20′N 4°56′E / 53.333°N 4.933°E / 53.333; 4.933 and sunk with all hands lost.^[2]

Construction

UB-61 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916.

She was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 28 April 1917. UB-61 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-61 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-61 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-61 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 2]}	Fate^[4]
25 August 1917	Sycamore	United Kingdom	6,550	Sunk
26 August 1917	Assyria	United Kingdom	6,370	Sunk

References

Notes

^ "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

^ Rössler 1979, p. 60.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Theodor Schultz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 61". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

Bibliography

Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
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.
Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.

[4] "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

[tonnage-5] Tonnages are in gross register tons

[FOOTNOTERössler197960-1] Rössler 1979, p. 60.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199125–30-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.

[3] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Theodor Schultz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

[6] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 61". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[4]

v t e Type UB III submarines
SM UB-48 SM UB-49 SM UB-50 SM UB-51 SM UB-52 SM UB-53 SM UB-54 SM UB-55 SM UB-56 SM UB-57 SM UB-58 SM UB-59 SM UB-60 SM UB-61 SM UB-62 SM UB-63 SM UB-64 SM UB-65 SM UB-66 SM UB-67 SM UB-68 SM UB-69 SM UB-70 SM UB-71 SM UB-72 SM UB-73 SM UB-74 SM UB-75 SM UB-76 SM UB-77 SM UB-78 SM UB-79 SM UB-80 SM UB-81 SM UB-82 SM UB-83 SM UB-84 SM UB-85 SM UB-86 SM UB-87 SM UB-88 SM UB-89 SM UB-90 SM UB-91 SM UB-92 SM UB-93 SM UB-94 SM UB-95 SM UB-96 SM UB-97 SM UB-98 SM UB-99 SM UB-100 SM UB-101 SM UB-102 SM UB-103 SM UB-104 SM UB-105 SM UB-106 SM UB-107 SM UB-108 SM UB-109 SM UB-110 SM UB-111 SM UB-112 SM UB-113 SM UB-114 SM UB-115 SM UB-116 SM UB-117 SM UB-118 SM UB-119 SM UB-120 SM UB-121 SM UB-122 SM UB-123 SM UB-124 SM UB-125 SM UB-126 SM UB-127 SM UB-128 SM UB-129 SM UB-130 SM UB-131 SM UB-132 SM UB-133 SM UB-136 SM UB-142 SM UB-143 SM UB-144 SM UB-145 SM UB-148 SM UB-149 SM UB-150 SM UB-154 SM UB-155
Preceded by: Type UB II Followed by: Type VII (World War II)
List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1917
Shipwrecks	1 Nov: SM UC-63 3 Nov: SM UC-65 4 Nov: USS Empress, SMS G37 5 Nov: USS Alcedo 11 Nov: HMS M15, HMS Staunch 13 Nov: Ardmore 16 Nov: Alfredo Cappellini 17 Nov: USS Chauncey, SM U-58, SM UC-51 18 Nov: HMS K1, SM UC-47 24 Nov: SM U-48 27 Nov: Eastfield 29 Nov: SM UB-61 Unknown date: SM UC-57, Tolo
Other incidents	18 Nov: HMS K4 26 Nov: RFA Crenella
1916 1917 1918 October 1917 December 1917