SM UC-14 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (de|Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 23 November 1914, laid down on 28 January 1915, and was launched on 13 May 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 June 1915 as SM UC-14.[1] Mines laid by UC-14 in her 38 patrols were credited with sinking 16 ships, one of which was the Italian pre-dreadnought battleship,[2] which at 13427t displacement was one of the largest ships sunk by U-boats during the war.[3] UC-14 was mined and sunk on 3 October 1917.
The submarine's wreck was finally located in September 2023
A Type UC I submarine, UC-14 had a displacement of 168t when at the surface and 182t while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99m (111.52feet), a beam of 3.15m (10.33feet), and a draught of 3.06m (10.04feet). The submarine was powered by one Benz six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 80PS, an electric motor producing 175PS, and one propeller shaft. 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 . UC-14 was fitted with six mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8mm machine gun. She was built by AG Weser Bremen and her complement was fourteen crew members.
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[4] | Fate[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 December 1915 | Intrepido | 680 | Sunk | ||
| 4 December 1915 | Re Umberto | 2,952 | Sunk | ||
| 8 January 1916 | Citta Di Palermo | 3,415 | Sunk | ||
| 8 January 1916 | HMD Freuchny | 84 | Sunk | ||
| 8 January 1916 | HMD Morning Star | 97 | Sunk | ||
| 20 February 1916 | HMD Gavenwood | 88 | Sunk | ||
| 20 March 1916 | Ginette | 272 | Sunk | ||
| 26 November 1916 | HMD Finross | 78 | Sunk | ||
| 26 November 1916 | HMD Michaelmas Daisy | 99 | Sunk | ||
| 12 December 1916 | Regina Margherita | 13,427 | Sunk | ||
| 30 March 1917 | HMT Christopher | 316 | Sunk | ||
| 9 April 1917 | HMT Orthos | 218 | Sunk | ||
| 23 May 1917 | HMT Tettenhall | 227 | Sunk | ||
| 10 September 1917 | HMT Loch Ard | 225 | Sunk | ||
| 2 October 1917 | Willing Boys |  United Kingdom | 51 | Sunk | |
| 7 October 1917 | Reliance | United Kingdom | 60 | Sunk |