SM U-18 explained

SM U-18 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-18 engaged in the commerce warfare in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Service history

Beginning in October 1914, she was commanded by Kaptlt. von Hennig.^[1]

On her third mission, on 23 November U-18 penetrated the fleet anchorage of Scapa Flow via Hoxa Sound, following a steamer through the boom and entering the anchorage with little difficulty. However, the fleet was absent, being dispersed in anchorages on the west coast of Scotland and Ireland. As U-18 was making her way back out through Hoxa Sound to the open sea, her periscope was spotted by a guard boat. The trawler Dorothy Gray altered course and rammed the periscope, rendering it unserviceable. U-18 then suffered a failure of her diving plane motor and the boat became unable to maintain her depth, at one point even impacting the seabed. She was rammed a second time by destroyer and eventually, her captain was forced to surface and scuttle his command just outside the Hoxa Gate; all crew members, except one, were picked up by British boats.^{[2] [3]} One crew member perished, while the remaining 22 were interned as prisoners of war.^[4]

The wreck lies 75m (246feet) below the surface just outside the Hoxa Gate, at 58.6833°N -57°W.^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Book: Gröner. Erich. Jung. Dieter. Maass. Martin. Thomas. Keith. Magowan. Rachel. 1991. U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. 2. German Warships 1815–1945. London. Conway Maritime Press. 0-85177-593-4. CITEREFGröner1991.
• Book: Spindler, Arno . Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. 5 Vols . 1932. 1966. 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. Berlin .
• Book: Beesly, Patrick . Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. 1982 . H Hamilton . London . 978-0241108642 .
• Book: Halpern, Paul G. . A Naval History of World War I. 1918 . Routledge . New York . 978-1857284980 .
• Book: Roessler, Eberhard . Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine . 1997 . Bernard & Graefe . Bonn . 978-3763759637 .
• Book: Schroeder, Joachim . Die U-Boote des Kaisers . 2002 . Bernard & Graefe . Bonn . 978-3763762354 .
• Book: Koerver, Hans Joachim . Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol I., The Fleet in Action. 2008 . LIS Reinisch . Steinbach . 978-3-902433-76-3 .
• Book: Koerver, Hans Joachim . Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. 2009 . LIS Reinisch . Steinbach . 978-3-902433-77-0 .
• Book: Kemp , Paul . 1997. U-boats destroyed, German submarine losses in the World Wars. London. Arms & Armour Press. 1-85409-321-5. 9.

External links

• 18. U 18. 1sub.
• Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.

Notes and References

1. Koerver, Hans Joachim (2008). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918.
2. Book: Messimer, Dwight R. . Verschollen: World War I U-boat Losses . Naval Institute Press . 2002 . 36–40 . 9781557504753.
3. Koerver.
4. 18. U 18. 1sub.
5. Book: Willmott, H.P. . The Last Century of Sea Power: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894-1922 . Indiana University Press . 2009 . 376 . 9780253352149.