SM UC-3 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 28 May 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 1 June 1915 as UC-3.[1] Mines laid by UC-3 in her 29 patrols were credited with sinking 22 ships and damaging 2 others. UC-3 was caught in a net, detected by hydrophone, and sunk on 23 April 1916 or mined and sunk on 27 May 1916.[2]
A Type UC I submarine, UC-3 had a displacement of 168t when at the surface and 183t while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99m (111.52feet), a beam of 3.15m (10.33feet), and a draught of 3.040NaN0. The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90PS, an electric motor producing 175PS, and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of .
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-3 was fitted with six mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8mm machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.
UC-3 was the first submarine to be detected and sunk using a hydrophone. UC-3s fate have different version: One is on 23 April 1916 she was detected using a hydrophone, trapped in a net, and then quickly sunk after a large explosion. The ship that sank her was the anti-submarine trawler Cheerio, captained by Thomson.[3] Another is on 27 May 1916, she got mined and sunk.
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[4] | Fate[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 July 1915 | Peik |  Norway | 1,168 | Sunk | |
| 14 July 1915 | Vivid |  Belgium | 150 | Sunk | |
| 20 July 1915 | HMY Rhiannon | 137 | Sunk | ||
| 21 July 1915 | HMT Briton | 196 | Sunk | ||
| 12 September 1915 | Ashmore |  United Kingdom | 2,519 | Sunk | |
| 14 October 1915 | Salerno | United Kingdom | 2,071 | Sunk | |
| 16 October 1915 | Volscian | United Kingdom | 570 | Damaged | |
| 17 October 1915 | HMT Javelin | 205 | Sunk | ||
| 25 October 1915 | Selma | Norway | 1,654 | Sunk | |
| 6 November 1915 | Alastair | United Kingdom | 366 | Sunk | |
| 11 November 1915 | Rhineland | United Kingdom | 1,501 | Sunk | |
| 17 November 1915 | Ulriken | Norway | 2,379 | Sunk | |
| 29 November 1915 | HMS Duchess of Hamilton | 553 | Sunk | ||
| 10 December 1915 | Nereus | Norway | 742 | Sunk | |
| 11 December 1915 | Pinegrove | United Kingdom | 2,847 | Sunk | |
| 18 December 1915 | Nico | Norway | 712 | Sunk | |
| 21 December 1915 | HMS Lady Ismay | 495 | Sunk | ||
| 27 December 1915 | Hadley | United Kingdom | 1,777 | Sunk | |
| 14 January 1916 | Breslau | United Kingdom | 1,339 | Damaged | |
| 18 January 1916 | Auvergne | 523 | Sunk | ||
| 8 February 1916 | Argo | United Kingdom | 1,720 | Sunk | |
| 28 February 1916 | Thornaby | United Kingdom | 1,782 | Sunk | |
| 26 May 1916 | Denewood | United Kingdom | 1,221 | Sunk | |
| 3 June 1916 | United Kingdom | 5,874 | Sunk |