SM U-105 explained

SM U-105 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-105 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. After the war she was ceded to France, where the unit served as Jean Autric until being scrapped in 1938.

On 17 October 1917, SM U-105 met, an American troop transport, during the return leg of a voyage to Europe.[1] Antilles was torpedoed by the submerged U-boat and went down just five minutes after being hit.[2] A total of 67 persons were killed in the sinking, making the destruction of Antilles the event costing the single greatest number of American lives in the war to that date.

Design

Type U 93 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 87 submarines. U-105 had a displacement of 798t when at the surface and 1000t while submerged. She had a total length of 71.55m (234.74feet), a pressure hull length of 56.05m (183.89feet), a beam of 6.3m (20.7feet), a height of 8.25m (27.07feet), and a draught of 3.9m (12.8feet). The submarine was powered by two 2400PS engines for use while surfaced, and two 1200PS engines for use while submerged. The boat had two propeller shafts and two 1.7m (05.6feet) propellers. She was capable of operating at depths of up to .

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-105 was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four at the bow and two at the stern), twelve to sixteen torpedoes, one 10.5sp=usNaNsp=us SK L/45, and one 8.8sp=usNaNsp=us SK L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage[3] Fate[4]
14 October 1917Ecaterini C. D. Greece3,739Sunk
15 October 1917Saint Paul France79Sunk
15 October 1917St. Helens United States1,497Sunk
17 October 19176,878Sunk
19 December 1917Vinovia United Kingdom7,046Sunk
22 December 1917Colemere United Kingdom2,120Sunk
24 December 1917Canova United Kingdom4,637Sunk
28 December 1917Lord Derby United Kingdom3,757Sunk
24 February 1918Sarpfos Norway1,458Sunk
26 February 1918Dalewood United Kingdom2,420Sunk
27 February 1918Largo United Kingdom1,764Sunk
1 March 1918Penvearn United Kingdom3,710Sunk
2 March 1918Carmelite United Kingdom2,583Sunk
29 April 1918Christiana Davis United Kingdom86Sunk
29 April 1918Johnny Toole United Kingdom84Sunk
7 May 1918Nantes United Kingdom1,580Sunk
7 May 1918Saxon United Kingdom1,595Sunk
2 July 1918Pieuse Paysanne FranceunknownDamaged
2 July 1918Albert 1er FranceunknownDamaged
31 August 1918Milwaukee United Kingdom7,323Sunk
7 September 1918Ruysdael United Kingdom3,478Sunk

References

Citations

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-civil/civsh-a/antilles.htm "Online Library of Selected Images: S.S. Antilles (American Passenger-Cargo Ship, 1907),"
  2. "The Tribune Graphic," in the New York Tribune, vol. 77, whole no. 25,914 (Oct. 28, 1917), pg. 1.
  3. Tonnages are in gross register tons
  4. u105. U 105. 1boat. 17 December 2014.