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

DateNameNationalityTonnage[1] Fate[2]
31 December 1916Lupus Norway539Captured as prize
12 January 1917Brentwood United Kingdom1,192Sunk
15 January 1917Brabant Norway1,492Sunk
15 January 1917Graafjeld Norway728Sunk
20 January 1917Planudes United Kingdom542Sunk
27 February 1917Marie Madeleine France45Sunk
1 March 1917Mabella Norway1,637Sunk
1 March 1917Storenes Norway1,870Sunk
6 March 1917Cornelia United Kingdom903Sunk
6 March 1917Sawa Maru Japan2,578Sunk
7 March 1917Baron Wemyss United Kingdom1,605Sunk
9 March 1917Laurits Denmark183Sunk
13 March 1917Norwegian United Kingdom6,237Sunk
22 March 1917Malmanger Norway5,672Sunk

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

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