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SM U-67

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For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-67.
History
German Empire
NameU-67
Ordered2 February 1913
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel[1]
Yard number204[2]
Laid down2 February 1913, as U-8 (Austria-Hungary)[2]
Launched15 May 1915
Commissioned4 August 1915
Fate20 November 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Fareham in 1921.[2]
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeType U 66 submarine
Displacement
  • 791 t (779 long tons) surfaced
  • 933 t (918 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in) (o/a)
  • 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) (pressure hull)
Height7.95 m (26 ft 1 in)
Draft3.79 m (12 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) surfaced
  • 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,370 nmi (13,650 km; 8,480 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 115 nmi (213 km; 132 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement4 officers, 32 enlisted men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • IV Flottille
  • 28 October 1915 – 11 November 1918[2]
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski[4]
  • 4 August 1915 – 15 March 1916
  • Kptlt. Hans Nieland[5]
  • 16 March 1916 – 14 December 1917
  • Kptlt. Helmuth von Rabenau[6]
  • 15 December 1917 – 15 September 1918
Operations: 13 patrols
Victories:
  • 17 merchant ships sunk
    (39,720 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,766 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (4,282 GRT)[2]

SM U-67 was a Type U 66 submarine or U-boat for the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during the First World War. She had been laid down in November 1913 as U-8 the second boat of the U-7 class for the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und Königliche (K.u.K.) Kriegsmarine) but was sold to Germany, along with the others in her class, in November 1914.

The submarine was ordered as U-8 from Germaniawerft of Kiel as the second of five boats of the U-7 class for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Navy became convinced that none of the submarines of the class could be delivered to the Adriatic via Gibraltar. As a consequence, the entire class, including U-8, was sold to the German Imperial Navy in November 1914. Under German control, the class became known as the U 66 type and the boats were renumbered; U-8 became U-67, and all were redesigned and reconstructed to German specifications. U-67 was launched in May 1915 and commissioned in August. As completed, she displaced 791 tonnes (779 long tons), surfaced, and 933 tonnes (918 long tons), submerged. The boat was 69.50 metres (228 ft) long and was armed with five torpedo tubes and a deck gun.

A part of the IV Flotilla throughout the war, U-67 sank 17 ships with a combined gross register tonnage (GRT) of 39,720 in thirteen war patrols. She also damaged four other ships of 19,048 GRT. On 20 November 1918, nine days after the Armistice, U-67 was surrendered to the British. She was broken up in 1921 at Fareham.

Design and construction

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After the Austro-Hungarian Navy had competitively evaluated three foreign submarine designs, it selected the Germaniawerft 506d design, also known as the Type UD, for its new U-7 class of five submarines.[7] The Navy ordered five boats on 1 February 1913.[8]

The U-7 class was seen by the Austro-Hungarian Navy as an improved version of its U-3 class, which was also a Germaniawerft design.[8][Note 1] As designed for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the boats were to displace 695 tonnes (684 long tons) on the surface and 885 tonnes (871 long tons) while submerged. The doubled-hulled boats were to be 69.50 metres (228 ft) long overall with a beam of 6.30 metres (20 ft 8 in) and a draft of 3.79 metres (12 ft 5 in). The Austrian specifications called for two shafts with twin diesel engines (2,300 metric horsepower (2,269 bhp; 1,692 kW) total) for surface running at up to 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), and twin electric motors (1,240 PS (1,223 shp; 912 kW) total) for a maximum of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) when submerged.[8] The boats were designed with five 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes; four located in the bow, one in the stern. The boats' armament was to also include a single 6.6 centimetres (2.6 in) L/26 deck gun.[8]

U-8 and sister boat U-7 were both laid down on 1 November 1913, the first two boats of the class begun.[9] Her construction was slated to be complete within 29 to 33 months.[8]

Neither U-8 nor any of her sister boats were complete when World War I began in August 1914.[9] With the boats under construction at Kiel, the Austrians became convinced that it would be impossible to take delivery of the boats, which would need to be towed into the Mediterranean past Gibraltar, a British territory.[8][Note 2] As a result, U-8 and her four sisters were sold to the Imperial German Navy on 28 November 1914.[1][Note 3]

U-8 was renumbered by the Germans as U-67 when her class was redesignated as the Type U 66. The Imperial German Navy had the submarines redesigned and reconstructed to German standards, which increased the surface displacement by 96 tonnes (94 long tons) and the submerged by 48 tonnes (47 long tons). The torpedo load was increased by a third, from 9 to 12, and the deck gun was upgraded from the 6.6 cm (2.6 in) gun originally specified to an 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 one.[1]

Service career

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U-67 was launched on 15 May 1915.[1] On 4 August, SM U-67 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy under the command of Kapitänleutnant Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski.[2] On 28 October 1915, U-67 was assigned to the IV. U-Halbflotille in which she remained for the duration of the war.[10]

In March 1916, Kapitänleutnant Hans Nieland replaced von Rosenberg-Grusczyski as the captain of U-67,[2] and it was under his command that U-67 was most successful, sinking 17 ships with a combined a total of 39,720 gross register tons (GRT), while damaging a further four of 19,048 GRT.[11] U-67's most successful month was April 1917, when she sank four ships of 15,223 GRT in a span of twelve days.[11][Note 4]

Nieland was succeeded as commander of U-67 by Oberleutnant zur See Helmuth von Rabenau in December 1917. Under his command during the last eleven months of the war, U-67 sank no more ships. During her service career under three commanders, U-67 had completed thirteen war patrols. She was surrendered to the British on 20 November 1918, nine days after the Armistice, and broken up at Fareham in 1921.[2]

Ships sunk or damaged

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Ships sunk or damaged by SM U-67[11]
Date Name Nationality Tonnage Fate
16 April 1916 Cardonia  United Kingdom 2,169 Sunk
20 April 1916 Whitgift  United Kingdom 4,397 Sunk
22 April 1916 Chanaral  France 2,423 Sunk
8 December 1916 HMS Intaba  Royal Navy 4,282 Damaged
28 January 1917 Daisy  Denmark 1,227 Sunk
29 January 1917 Punta Teno  Spain 1,042 Sunk
1 February 1917 Butron  Spain 2,434 Sunk
2 February 1917 Elikon  Greece 1,166 Sunk
5 February 1917 Lorton  Peru 1,419 Sunk
19 February 1917 Headley  United Kingdom 4,953 Sunk
17 April 1917 Kish  United Kingdom 4,928 Sunk
18 April 1917 Rhydwen  United Kingdom 4,799 Sunk
20 April 1917 Portloe  United Kingdom 3,187 Sunk
28 April 1917 Port Jackson  United Kingdom 2,309 Sunk
19 July 1917 Harrildsborg  Denmark 1,547 Sunk
24 July 1917 Viking  Sweden 873 Sunk
28 July 1917 Rigmor  Denmark 798 Sunk
15 September 1917 Idomeneus  United Kingdom 6,692 Damaged
21 November 1917 Breynton  United Kingdom 4,240 Damaged
22 November 1917 Redbridge  United Kingdom 3,834 Damaged
27 November 1917 Premier  United Kingdom 49 Sunk

Notes

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  1. ^ The U-3-class submarines, however, were less than half the displacement and nearly 90 feet (27 m) shorter than the U-7 design. See: Gardiner, pp. 342–43.
  2. ^ The Austro-Hungarian Navy's Germaniawerft-built U-3 class boats had been towed from Kiel to Pola via Gibraltar in 1909. See: Sieche, p. 19.
  3. ^ In April 1915, just five months later, the German U-21 successfully entered the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar, proving that delivery would have been possible after all. See: Gardiner, p. 343.
  4. ^ U-67 had also sunk four ships in February 1917 but with a lesser tonnage, 9,972 GRT.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Gardiner, p. 177.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 67". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. ^ Gröner 1991, p. 10.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Nieland". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Helmuth von Rabenau". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. ^ Gardiner, p. 340.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Gardiner, p. 343.
  9. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. WWI U-boats: U 66, WWI U-boats: U 67, WWI U-boats: U 68, WWI U-boats: U 69, WWI U-boats: U 70. U-Boat War in World War I. Uboat.net. Retrieved on 9 December 2008.
  10. ^ Tarrant, p. 34.
  11. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 67". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 December 2008.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Sieche, Erwin F. (1980). "Austro-Hungarian Submarines". Warship, Volume 2. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-976-4. OCLC 233144055.
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.
  • Spindler, Arno (1966) [1932]. 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.
  • Beesly, Patrick (1982). Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. London: H Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-10864-2.
  • Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85728-498-0.
  • Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-5963-7.
  • Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-6235-4.
  • 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.
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