SM UB-18 explained

SM UB-18 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 30 April 1915 and launched on 21 August 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 11 December 1915 as SM UB-18.[1] The submarine sank 128 ships in 31 patrols for a total of and 725 tons, making her the 17th most successful U-boat in both world wars. UB-18 was rammed by the trawler Ben Lawer and sunk in the English Channel at 49.2833°N -52°W on 9 December 1917.

Design

A Type UB II submarine, ‘’UB-18’’ had a displacement of 263t when at the surface and 292t while submerged. They had a length overall of 36.13m (118.54feet), a beam of 4.54m (14.9feet), and a draught of 3.7m (12.1feet). The submarine was powered by two Daimler six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 142PS (a total of 284PS), two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors producing 280PS, and one propeller shaft. She had a dive time of 45 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of .

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced she could travel at . UB-18 was fitted with two torpedo tubes in the bow, four torpedoes, and one 5sp=usNaNsp=us Tk L/40 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-three crew members.

Service history

Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Franz Wäger took command of UB-18 upon commissioning on 11 December 1915. Wäger handed over command to Oblt.z.S. Otto Steinbrinck,[2] who sailed her to Zeebrugge, arriving on 16 February, the first U-boat of the type to be based there.

1st War Patrol

At the end of February 1916, UB-18 left Zeebrugge for the approaches to Le Havre. On 26 February she launched a torpedo hitting the French steamer, whose sinking was not observed. The attack on the French auxiliary minesweeper Au Revoir was more successful, sinking the 20-year-old ship of 1,058 GRT, killing 18 crew members. UB-18 returned to base arriving there 29 February 1916.

2nd War Patrol

On 4 March 1916 UB-18 provided flank cover for a German fleet sortie against the English east coast.

3rd War Patrol

From 7–11 March 1916, UB-18 operated against Allied shipping off Boulogne and Le Havre. On 8 March, she sunk a British steamer,, and the following day, a Norwegian freighter, the Silius, and a French steamer,, fell victims to UB-18s torpedoes.

4th War Patrol

On 21 March 1916, UB-18 left Zeebrugge again for the Le Havre area, where she successfully attacked ships lying in the roads. Two ships, the British freighter, and the Norwegian steamer were hit by torpedoes and sank. The two reloads did not show any hits. UB-18 returned to Zeebrugge, arriving on 29 March 1916.That day, the Flanders Flotilla was formed, and Steinbrinck was awarded the coveted Pour le Mérite order.

Loss

Sailing on her last patrol, she was seen off Start Point, Devon by on 4 December 1917, bound for the Western Approaches. Early on the morning of 9 December she inadvertently surfaced close to the trawler Ben Lawer, which was escorting a coal convoy. The trawler immediately rammed her just aft of the conning tower, sinking her; there were no survivors. The impact was substantial, with the Ben Lawer so badly damaged that she only just made port.[3]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage[4] Fate[5]
26 February 1916Au Revoir1,058Sunk
8 March 1916Harmatris United Kingdom4,863Sunk
9 March 1916Louisiane France5,109Sunk
9 March 1916Silius Norway1,559Sunk
22 March 1916Kelvinbank United Kingdom4,209Sunk
23 March 1916Kannik Norway2,397Sunk
5 April 1916Baus Norway1,287Sunk
5 April 1916Jeannette France160Sunk
7 April 1916Clyde United Kingdom204Sunk
7 April 1916Eemdijk Netherlands3,048Damaged
25 April 1916725Sunk
26 April 1916Alfred United Kingdom24Sunk
17 May 1916Research United Kingdom44Sunk
15 July 1916Bertha Norway203Sunk
15 July 1916Dina Netherlands164Sunk
17 July 1916Gertrude United Kingdom57Sunk
17 July 1916Glance United Kingdom60Sunk
17 July 1916Loch Nevis United Kingdom58Sunk
17 July 1916Loch Tay United Kingdom44Sunk
17 July 1916V.M.G. United Kingdom59Sunk
17 July 1916Waverley United Kingdom59Sunk
2 August 1916G. C. Gradwell United Kingdom156Sunk
2 August 1916Margaret Sutton United Kingdom197Sunk
2 August 1916S.D. United Kingdom131Sunk
3 August 1916Badger United Kingdom89Sunk
3 August 1916Fortuna United Kingdom131Sunk
3 August 1916Ivo United Kingdom56Damaged
3 August 1916Jacques Cartier France259Sunk
3 August 1916Sphene United Kingdom740Sunk
4 August 1916Demaris United Kingdom98Sunk
4 August 1916Ermenilda United Kingdom94Sunk
5 August 1916Spiral United Kingdom1,342Sunk
9 August 1916Henri Elisa France822Sunk
10 August 1916Marie France784Sunk
10 August 1916Credo Norway728Sunk
10 August 1916Saint Pierre France149Sunk
10 August 1916Sora Norway1,052Sunk
10 August 1916Annette Marie France118Sunk
3 September 1916Netta United Kingdom370Sunk
3 September 1916Teesborough United Kingdom308Sunk
5 September 1916City of Ghent United Kingdom199Sunk
5 September 1916Marcel Belgium1,433Sunk
8 September 1916Gamen Sweden2,619Sunk
9 September 1916Georges Andre France229Sunk
9 September 1916Lodsen Norway1,247Sunk
9 September 1916Myosotis France64Sunk
9 September 1916HMS Carrigan Head4,201Damaged
10 September 1916Furu Norway2,029Sunk
10 September 1916Marechal De Villars France1,908Sunk
10 September 1916Polynesia Norway4,064Sunk
11 September 1916Assimacos Greece2,898Sunk
11 September 1916Kong Ring Norway1,611Sunk
11 September 1916Luis Vives Spain2,160Sunk
12 September 1916Antwerpen Netherlands7,955Sunk
13 September 1916Ariel France49Sunk
13 September 1916Hans Jensen Denmark1,824Sunk
13 September 1916J. N. Madvig Denmark1,762Sunk
13 September 1916Tolosa Norway1,833Sunk
14 September 1916Ethel Norway1,122Sunk
20 October 1916Cliburn United Kingdom440Sunk
20 October 1916The Duke United Kingdom376Sunk
20 October 1916The Marchioness United Kingdom553Sunk
21 October 1916Brizeux France2,197Sunk
21 October 1916Condor France740Sunk
21 October 1916Fulvio Norway309Sunk
21 October 1916Rabbi Norway878Sunk
24 October 1916Cannebiere France2,454Sunk
26 October 1916Pan Norway796Sunk
23 November 1916Hendrick France35Sunk
24 November 1916Øifjeld Norway1,988Sunk
25 November 1916Emlynverne United Kingdom544Sunk
27 November 1916Borø Norway819Sunk
27 November 1916Perra Norway1,682Sunk
27 November 1916Rhona United Kingdom640Sunk
28 November 1916Auguste Marie France63Sunk
28 November 1916Lucienne Spain1,046Sunk
30 November 1916Aud Norway1,102Sunk
30 November 1916Christabel United Kingdom175Sunk
30 November 1916E.L.G. United Kingdom25Sunk
30 November 1916Egholm Denmark1,348Sunk
30 November 1916Marie Marguerite France136Sunk
30 November 1916Njaal Norway718Sunk
30 November 1916Saint Ansbert France275Sunk
1 December 1916T. And A.C. United Kingdom23Sunk
1 December 1916Indiana France178Sunk
1 December 1916Saint Joseph France182Sunk
2 December 1916Skjoldulf Norway502Sunk
3 December 1916Mizpah United Kingdom57Sunk
3 December 1916Seeker United Kingdom74Sunk
3 December 1916Yrsa Denmark879Sunk
31 December 1916Eva Norway1,081Sunk
31 December 1916Flora Norway1,033Sunk
2 January 1917Bestik Norway2,185Sunk
2 January 1917Ellik Norway603Sunk
4 January 1917Næsborg Denmark1,547Sunk
5 January 1917Danevirke Denmark1,433Sunk
1 February 1917Wellhome United Kingdom113Damaged
3 February 1917Confiante France85Sunk
3 February 1917Goeland France305Sunk
3 February 1917Lars Kruse Denmark1,460Sunk
3 February 1917Sainte Marie France60Sunk
4 February 1917Cerera3,512Sunk
28 February 1917Harriet Williams United Kingdom157Sunk
1 March 1917Chatburn United Kingdom1,942Sunk
12 March 1917Topaz United Kingdom696Sunk
15 March 1917Adieu Va France64Sunk
16 March 1917Sir Joseph United Kingdom84Sunk
17 March 1917Marie Louise France291Sunk
17 March 1917Marie Louise France426Sunk
18 March 1917Marie Louise France33Sunk
1 May 1917C. A. Jaques United Kingdom2,105Sunk
2 May 1917Juno United Kingdom1,384Sunk
2 May 1917Tela United Kingdom7,226Sunk
11 May 1917Tarpeia United Kingdom538Sunk
14 May 1917Elizabeth Hampton United Kingdom108Sunk
15 May 1917Panaghi Lykiardopoulo Greece3,193Sunk
3 June 1917HMS Sarah Colebrooke158Damaged
6 June 1917Cornelia Netherlands170Sunk
8 June 1917Cariad United Kingdom38Sunk
8 June 1917Ocean's Pride United Kingdom42Sunk
8 June 1917Onward United Kingdom39Sunk
8 June 1917Torbay Lass United Kingdom38Sunk
9 June 1917Marjorie United Kingdom119Sunk
5 July 1917Bjerkø Norway1,871Sunk
22 July 1917Breda Netherlands257Sunk
22 July 1917Nereus Netherlands110Sunk
24 July 1917Oostzee Netherlands199Sunk
24 July 1917Montevideo 488 UruguayunknownSunk
25 July 1917Janna Netherlands145Sunk
25 July 1917Spes Mea Netherlands75Sunk
16 September 1917Facto Norway2,372Sunk
12 October 1917Peebles United Kingdom4,284Sunk
8 December 1917Nonni4,105Sunk

Bibliography

Notes and References

  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.
  2. Steinbrinck was the most successful of the Flanders U-boat commanders. After the war he joined the Flick group and became a leading industrialist. In 1933 he joined the Freundeskreis Reichsführer SS. He was indicted in the Flick Trial at Nuremberg in 1947 and found guilty of membership in a criminal organisation.
  3. McCartney, I. (2003). Lost patrols: Submarine wrecks of the English Channel. 24-25. Penzance: Periscope Books.
  4. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
  5. ub18. UB 18. 1boat. 17 December 2014.

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