SM UC-41 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 13 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 11 October 1916 as SM UC-41.[1]
In a nine-month career that encompassed seven patrols UC-41 was credited with sinking 17 ships totaling 19,245 GRT, either by torpedo or by mines laid. The writer David Masters attributed the sinking of the two tiny naval fishing smacks Nelson and Ethel & Millie to UC-41 during an engagement on 15 August 1917. However this was actually UC-63, the logs of which record the event.
UC-41 was lost on 21 August 1917 after suffering an unexplained internal explosion of one of her mines which forced her to suddenly rise to the surface in the Tay estuary, where she was spotted by British naval trawlers and depth charged, killing all 27 German sailors and possibly seven British prisoners of war as well. Her wreck was rediscovered in 2003.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-41 had a displacement of 400t when at the surface and 480t while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45m (162.24feet), a beam of 5.22m (17.13feet), and a draught of 3.68m (12.07feet). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 260PS (a total of 520PS), two electric motors producing 460PS, and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 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-41 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[2] | Fate[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 March 1917 | Tillycorthie |  United Kingdom | 382 | Sunk | |
| 1 March 1917 | Orion |  Norway | 1,354 | Sunk | |
| 3 March 1917 | Elfi | Norway | 1,120 | Damaged | |
| 3 March 1917 | Ring | Norway | 998 | Sunk | |
| 13 April 1917 | Breadalbane | United Kingdom | 112 | Damaged | |
| 13 April 1917 | Stork | United Kingdom | 152 | Sunk | |
| 16 April 1917 | Lord Chancellor | United Kingdom | 135 | Sunk | |
| 17 April 1917 | U.s.a. | United Kingdom | 182 | Sunk | |
| 18 April 1917 | John S. Boyle | United Kingdom | 143 | Sunk | |
| 18 April 1917 | Rameses | United Kingdom | 155 | Sunk | |
| 20 April 1917 | Ballochbuie | United Kingdom | 921 | Sunk | |
| 20 April 1917 | HMT Othonna | 180 | Sunk | ||
| 20 April 1917 | Ringholm | Norway | 705 | Sunk | |
| 22 April 1917 | Godø | Norway | 870 | Sunk | |
| 23 April 1917 | Stegg | Norway | 463 | Sunk | |
| 11 June 1917 | Breid | Norway | 1,062 | Sunk | |
| 16 July 1917 | Valentia | United Kingdom | 3,242 | Sunk | |
| 25 July 1917 | Oakleaf | United Kingdom | 8,106 | Sunk | |
| 22 August 1917 | HMT Sophron | 195 | Sunk |