SM UC-62 explained

SM UC-62 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (de|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 9 December 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 8 January 1917 as SM UC-62.^[1] In nine patrols UC-62 was credited with sinking 11 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 19 March 1917, the submerged Royal Navy submarine suffered damage in a collision UC-62 in the North Sea off the North Hinder Light Vessel. UC-62 struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Zeebrugge, Belgium, on 14 October 1917.

Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-62 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-62 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^[2]	Fate^[3]
5 April 1917	HMS Result		122	Damaged
2 May 1917	Noordzee	Netherlands	136	Sunk
4 May 1917	Neptunus	Netherlands	160	Sunk
24 May 1917	Chicago City	United Kingdom	2,324	Damaged
30 May 1917	Lisbon	United Kingdom	1,203	Sunk
24 June 1917	HMT Taipo		247	Sunk
26 June 1917	A. B. Sherman	United States	611	Damaged
28 June 1917	Neotsfield	United Kingdom	1,875	Sunk
28 June 1917	Don Arturo	United Kingdom	3,680	Sunk
25 July 1917	Vaarbud	Norway	362	Sunk
27 July 1917	Carmela	United States	1,379	Sunk
28 July 1917	Glenstrae	United Kingdom	4,718	Sunk
26 August 1917	Chacma	Norway	608	Sunk
15 October 1917	Hartburn	United Kingdom	2,367	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. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (en|His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
2. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
3. uc62. UC 62. 1boat. 3 March 2015.