SM U-93 explained

SM U-93 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-93 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Design

Type U 93 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 87 submarines. U-93 had a displacement of 838t 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 3.94m (12.93feet). The submarine was powered by two 2400PS engines for use while surfaced, and two 1200PS engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. 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-93 was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four at the bow and two at the stern), twelve to sixteen torpedoes, 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).

Operational history

After February 1917 she was commanded by the late author of books (e.g. U boat 202. The war diary of a German submarine, 1919) and experienced submarine commander Edgar von Spiegel von und zu Peckelsheim

On 30 April 1917 about south of Ireland, in the Atlantic, U-93 attacked HMS Prize, a three-masted topsail schooner (one of the Q ships) commanded by Lieutenant William Edward Sanders (who received a Victoria Cross for the action). HMS Prize was damaged by shellfire. After the 'panic party' had taken to the boats and the ship appeared to be sinking, the U-boat approached to within 80yds of her port quarter, whereupon the White Ensign was hoisted and the Prize opened fire.

Within a few minutes the submarine was on fire and her bows rose in the air, whilst the Prize was further damaged. The U-boat disappeared from sight, and was believed to have been sunk by the crew of the Prize and by several of the German crew (including her captain) who had been blown or jumped into the sea.

Neither of the crippled ships had sunk, with the Prize being towed in flames back to Kinsale, while the U-93 struggled back to the Sylt nine days later after a dramatic escape effort through the British mine and destroyer barrages off Dover.

U 93 after repairs operated in the English channel. She was lost to unknown cause off Hardelot, France in January 1918. The wreck was located by divers in 2003.[1]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage[2] Fate[3]
15 April 1917Fram Denmark105Sunk
18 April 1917Troldfos Norway1,459Sunk
18 April 1917West Lothian Norway1,887Sunk
22 April 1917Vestelv Norway1,729Sunk
28 April 1917Diana Denmark207Damaged
29 April 1917Comedian United Kingdom4,889Sunk
29 April 1917Ikbal United Kingdom5,434Sunk
30 April 1917Ascaro3,245Sunk
30 April 1917Horsa United Kingdom2,949Sunk
30 April 1917Parthenon Greece2,934Sunk
30 April 1917HMS Prize199Damaged
19 June 1917Louise Norway645Sunk
27 June 1917Baron Ogilvy United Kingdom4,570Sunk
4 July 1917Kodan Denmark308Sunk
12 August 1917Bestum Norway3,520Sunk
14 August 1917Asti5,300Sunk
20 August 1917Elswick Lodge United Kingdom3,558Sunk
21 August 1917Volodia United Kingdom5,689Sunk
23 August 1917Carl F. Cressy United States898Sunk
25 August 1917Heatherside United Kingdom2,767Sunk
25 August 1917Ovar Portugal1,650Sunk
26 August 1917Marmion United Kingdom4,066Sunk
26 August 1917Minas Queen Canada492Sunk
29 August 1917Treloske United Kingdom3,071Sunk
18 October 1917Macao Brazil3,557Sunk
27 October 1917D. N. Luckenbach United States2,929Sunk
28 October 1917USAT Finland12,222Damaged
29 October 1917La Epoca Uruguay2,432Sunk
30 October 1917Liff Norway2,521Sunk
2 January 1918Veda United Kingdom25Sunk
4 January 1918Goeland I235Sunk
6 January 1918Kanaris Greece3,793Sunk
6 January 1918Harry Luckenbach United States2,798Sunk
6 January 1918Henri Lecour France2,488Sunk
6 January 1918Dagny Denmark1,220Sunk
14 January 1918Babin Chevaye France2,174Sunk
15 January 1918War Song United Kingdom2,535Sunk

References

Citations

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Innes McCartney . Innes McCartney . 2015 . The Maritime Archaeology of a Modern Conflict: Comparing the Archaeology of German Submarine Wrecks to the Historical Text . New York . Routledge . 117–119 . 978-1138814356 .
  2. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
  3. u93. U 93. 1boat. 14 December 2014.