SM UB-116

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-116.
History
German Empire
Name:	UB-116
Ordered:	6/8 February 1917[1]
Builder:	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost:	3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number:	322
Launched:	4 November 1917[2]
Commissioned:	24 May 1918[2]
Fate:	Sunk by remote-controlled mine 28 October 1918 at 58°50′N 3°4′W / 58.833°N 3.067°W.[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement:	519 t (511 long tons) surfaced 649 t (639 long tons) submerged
Length:	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam:	5.80 m (19.0 ft)
Draught:	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN-Vulcan four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW) 2 × AEG electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed:	13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:	7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 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[2]
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:	Flanders Flotilla 15 August – 4 October 1918 III Flotilla 4–28 October 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Erich Stephan[3] 24 May – 4 October 1918 Oblt.z.S. Hans Joachim Emsmann[4] 5–28 October 1918
Operations:	4 patrols
Victories:	None

SM UB-116 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 24 May 1918 as SM UB-116.^{[Note 1]}

UB-116 was sunk by a remote-controlled mine at 58°50′N 3°4′W / 58.833°N 3.067°W off Orkney while making an attempt to enter Scapa Flow in order to attack units of the British Grand Fleet as part of final German Naval offensive of the war.^[2]

According to Uboat.net, "UB 116" hit a mine and was next finished off by depth charges while trying to reach the empty Scapa anchorage. All hands were lost (36 sailors).^[5]

Construction

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 4 November 1917. UB-116 was commissioned in the spring the next year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Erich Stephan. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-116 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-116 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-116 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.

References

Notes

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.

Citations

1. Rössler 1979, p. 66.
2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Erich Stephan". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Joachim Emsmann". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UB 116". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.

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. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
• Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 - 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German). I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.