SM UC-43 explained

SM UC-43 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 5 October 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 October 1916 as SM UC-43. In two patrols UC-43 was credited with sinking 13 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-43 was torpedoed and sunk by north of Muckle Flugga on 10 March 1917.

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-43 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-43 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.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^[1]	Fate^[2]
31 December 1916	Lupus	Norway	539	Captured as prize
12 January 1917	Brentwood	United Kingdom	1,192	Sunk
15 January 1917	Brabant	Norway	1,492	Sunk
15 January 1917	Graafjeld	Norway	728	Sunk
20 January 1917	Planudes	United Kingdom	542	Sunk
27 February 1917	Marie Madeleine	France	45	Sunk
1 March 1917	Mabella	Norway	1,637	Sunk
1 March 1917	Storenes	Norway	1,870	Sunk
6 March 1917	Cornelia	United Kingdom	903	Sunk
6 March 1917	Sawa Maru	Japan	2,578	Sunk
7 March 1917	Baron Wemyss	United Kingdom	1,605	Sunk
9 March 1917	Laurits	Denmark	183	Sunk
13 March 1917	Norwegian	United Kingdom	6,237	Sunk
22 March 1917	Malmanger	Norway	5,672	Sunk

References

Bibliography

• Book: Bendert , Harald . Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten. Mittler. 2001. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn. 3-8132-0758-7. German.
• Book: Gröner. Erich. Jung. Dieter. Maass. Martin. Thomas. Keith. Magowan. Rachel. 1991. U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. 2. German Warships 1815–1945. London. Conway Maritime Press. 0-85177-593-4. CITEREFGröner1991.
• Book: Gardiner . Robert . Gray . Randal . Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 . . . 1985 . 978-0-87021-907-8 . 12119866 .
• Book: Tarrant, V. E. . The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945 . Annapolis, Maryland . Naval Institute Press . 1989 . 978-0-87021-764-7 . 20338385 .

Notes and References

1. Tonnages are in gross register tons
2. uc43. UC 43. 1boat. 23 February 2015.