SM UC-52 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 12 January 1916 and was launched on 23 January 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 March 1917 as SM UC-52.[1] In seven patrols UC-52 was credited with sinking 18 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. She notably sank the Italian troopship, killing 880 soldiers. UC-52 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Morecambe.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-52 had a displacement of 434t when at the surface and 511t while submerged. She had a length overall of 52.69m (172.87feet), a beam of 5.22m (17.13feet), and a draught of 3.64m (11.94feet). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 290PS300PS (a total of 580PS600PS), two electric motors producing 620PS, 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-52 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] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 September 1917 | Arlequin | Tunisia | 6 | Sunk | |
13 September 1917 | Chere Rose | Tunisia | 28 | Sunk | |
13 September 1917 | Ortigia | Tunisia | 17 | Sunk | |
13 September 1917 | Vittoria | Tunisia | 24 | Sunk | |
18 September 1917 | Cachalot | Tunisia | 17 | Sunk | |
31 March 1918 | San Nicola | United Kingdom | 24 | Sunk | |
6 April 1918 | Madonna delle Grazie B. | 105 | Sunk | ||
9 April 1918 | Sunik | United Kingdom | 5,017 | Damaged | |
10 April 1918 | Airedale | United Kingdom | 3,044 | Damaged | |
11 May 1918 | Gigilla | 120 | Sunk | ||
11 May 1918 | Verona | 8,261 | Sunk | ||
14 May 1918 | Woolston | United Kingdom | 2,986 | Sunk | |
17 May 1918 | Pietro Brizzolari | 445 | Sunk | ||
18 May 1918 | HMS Chesterfield | 1,013 | Sunk | ||
18 May 1918 | Ninetta | 17 | Sunk | ||
22 June 1918 | Metamorphosis | Greece | 130 | Sunk | |
24 June 1918 | Maria | Greece | 25 | Sunk | |
24 June 1918 | Sofia | Greece | 24 | Sunk | |
4 July 1918 | Cordova | 4,933 | Sunk | ||
7 July 1918 | Vergine Di Lourdes | 55 | Sunk | ||
7 July 1918 | Stalheim | Norway | 1,469 | Damaged | |
23 October 1918 | Ischia | 4,050 | Damaged |