SM UC-61 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, laid down on 3 April 1916, and was launched on 11 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 13 December 1916 as SM UC-61.[1] In five patrols UC-61 was credited with sinking or damaging 12 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.[2] UC-61 was stranded at Wissant, south of Calais on 26 July 1917 on her way to mine Newhaven. The U-boat's crew flooded and scuttled their ship before surrendering to French authorities. The wreckage silted up but in some years becomes visible at low tide offshore in Wissant.[3] As of 24 January 2019, the submarine had been partially visible since December 2018, and some locals were hopeful that due to shifting winds and tides, the submarine would be visible more often.[4]
A Type UC II submarine, UC-61 had a displacement of 422t when at the surface and 504t while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35m (165.19feet), a beam of 5.22m (17.13feet), and a draught of 3.67m (12.04feet). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300PS (a total of 600PS), 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-61 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[5] | Fate[6] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March 1917 | Copenhagen |  United Kingdom | 2,570 | Sunk | |
| 30 April 1917 | 227 | Sunk | |||
| 30 April 1917 | Gorizia |  Uruguay | 1,957 | Sunk | |
| 30 April 1917 | Little Mystery | United Kingdom | 114 | Sunk | |
| 3 May 1917 | Fils Du Progres |  France | 25 | Sunk | |
| 3 May 1917 | Giovannina | 3,030 | Sunk | ||
| 5 May 1917 | Le Gard | France | 1,658 | Damaged | |
| 8 May 1917 | Nelly | France | 1,868 | Sunk | |
| 10 May 1917 | Broomhill | United Kingdom | 1,392 | Sunk | |
| 10 May 1917 | Minerva |  Norway | 518 | Sunk | |
| 27 June 1917 | 7,578 | Sunk | |||
| 28 June 1917 | Edith Fische | Norway | 1,818 | Damaged | |
| 4 July 1917 | Ull | Norway | 543 | Sunk | |
| 6 July 1917 | Indutiomare |  Belgium | 1,577 | Sunk | |
| 7 July 1917 | 570 | Damaged |