SM UC-34 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 6 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 September 1916 as SM UC-34.[1] In nine patrols UC-34 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.
On 30 December 1917 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Horst Obermüller, UC-34 torpedoed the British troop ship off the Port of Alexandria.[2] [3] Aragons escort, the destroyer, rescued 300 to 400 survivors but then UC-34 torpedoed and sank her was well. Of 2,500 personnel who had been aboard Aragon, 610 were killed.[2] [3]
UC-34 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-34 had a displacement of 427t when at the surface and 509t while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35m (165.19feet) o/a, a beam of 5.22m (17.13feet), and a draught of 3.650NaN0. The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300PS (a total of 600PS), two electric motors producing 460PS, and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 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 . UC-34 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8sp=usNaNsp=us Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[4] | Fate[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 December 1916 | Maud |  France | 176 | Sunk | |
| 28 December 1916 | Seedonis | 284 | Sunk | ||
| 6 April 1917 | Rahmanich |  Egypt | 100 | Sunk | |
| 6 April 1917 | Spithead |  United Kingdom | 4,697 | Sunk | |
| 8 April 1917 | Geilan Bahri | United Kingdom | 19 | Sunk | |
| 10 April 1917 | Fotis |  Greece | 3,526 | Damaged | |
| 11 April 1917 | Imperial Transport | United Kingdom | 4,648 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Cameleon | 179 | Sunk | ||
| 31 May 1917 | Ozarda | United Kingdom | 4,791 | Damaged | |
| 2 June 1917 | Cameronian | United Kingdom | 5,861 | Sunk | |
| 7 June 1917 | Liliana | 70 | Sunk | ||
| 30 June 1917 | Caledonien | France | 4,140 | Sunk | |
| 13 September 1917 | Bengali | United Kingdom | 5,684 | Damaged | |
| 25 October 1917 | Euston | United Kingdom | 2,841 | Sunk | |
| 12 November 1917 | Barbary | United Kingdom | 4,185 | Sunk | |
| 30 December 1917 | 9,588 | Sunk | |||
| 30 December 1917 | 785 | Sunk | |||
| 31 December 1917 | 4,041 | Sunk | |||
| 8 April 1918 | Bengali | United Kingdom | 5,684 | Sunk | |
| 9 April 1918 | Vasconia |  Norway | 3,052 | Sunk | |
| 1 August 1918 | Columbia |  Denmark | 5,570 | Sunk | |
| 6 August 1918 | Clan Macneil | United Kingdom | 3,939 | Sunk | |
| 10 August 1918 | Patra | France | 45 | Sunk | |
| 10 August 1918 | Tatarrax | United Kingdom | 6,216 | Sunk |