SM UB-56 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 19 July 1917 as SM UB-56.
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-56 was sunk at 23:41 on 19 December 1917 at 50.9667°N 22°W after striking a mine, 37 crew members lost their lives in the event.
See main article: Type UB III submarine. She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 6 June 1917. UB-56 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-56 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.82NaN2 deck gun. UB-56 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9020nmi. UB-56 had a displacement of 516lk=inNaNlk=in while surfaced and 646t when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4kn when surfaced and when submerged.
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[1] | Fate[2] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 November 1917 | Atlas | United Kingdom | 989 | Sunk | |
13 November 1917 | Axwell | United Kingdom | 1,442 | Sunk | |
17 November 1917 | Lalen Mendi | Spain | 2,183 | Sunk | |
21 November 1917 | Maine | France | 773 | Sunk |