SM UC-69 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 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 22 December 1916 as SM UC-69.[1] In nine patrols UC-69 was credited with sinking 54 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-69 was sunk after being accidentally rammed by near Barfleur on 6 December 1917. The wreck was accidentally discovered in November 2017 by the Dutch naval mine sweeper Zr.Ms. Makkum which was mapping the sea-bed off the French Normandy coast.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-69 had a displacement of 427t when at the surface and 508t while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35m (165.19feet), 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 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-69 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] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 March 1917 | 975 | Damaged | |||
| 25 March 1917 | Huntleys |  United Kingdom | 186 | Sunk | |
| 25 March 1917 | Mary Annie | United Kingdom | 154 | Sunk | |
| 26 March 1917 | Norma |  Sweden | 1,443 | Sunk | |
| 27 March 1917 | Aasta |  Norway | 1,146 | Sunk | |
| 27 March 1917 | Grib | Norway | 1,474 | Sunk | |
| 27 March 1917 | Thracia | United Kingdom | 2,891 | Sunk | |
| 28 March 1917 | Katina |  Greece | 2,464 | Sunk | |
| 29 March 1917 | Morild I | Norway | 1,354 | Sunk | |
| 30 March 1917 | Avanguardia | 2,703 | Sunk | ||
| 30 March 1917 | Britta | Norway | 2,061 | Sunk | |
| 31 March 1917 | Farmand | Norway | 1,387 | Sunk | |
| 1 May 1917 | Barreiro |  Portugal | 1,738 | Sunk | |
| 3 May 1917 | Maria | Greece | 2,754 | Sunk | |
| 3 May 1917 | Polstad | Norway | 2,692 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Ilva | 2,140 | Sunk | ||
| 4 May 1917 | Ioannis P. Goulandris | Greece | 3,153 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Tromp | Norway | 2,751 | Sunk | |
| 6 May 1917 | Gurth | Norway | 1,340 | Sunk | |
| 6 May 1917 | Voss | Norway | 2,390 | Sunk | |
| 7 May 1917 | Leikanger | Norway | 3,544 | Sunk | |
| 7 May 1917 | Tiger | Norway | 3,273 | Sunk | |
| 22 May 1917 | Nann Smith | Norway | 2,093 | Sunk | |
| 12 June 1917 | Alexandre |  France | 697 | Sunk | |
| 14 June 1917 | Hasting | Sweden | 983 | Sunk | |
| 15 June 1917 | Addah | United Kingdom | 4,397 | Sunk | |
| 16 June 1917 | La Tour D’agon | France | 125 | Sunk | |
| 17 June 1917 | Marguerite VI | 862 | Damaged | ||
| 19 June 1917 | Bearn | France | 1,288 | Sunk | |
| 19 June 1917 | Spind | Norway | 1,174 | Sunk | |
| 20 June 1917 | Katerina | Greece | 3,092 | Sunk | |
| 21 June 1917 | E. T. Nygaard |  Denmark | 1,923 | Sunk | |
| 24 June 1917 | Cabo Verde | Portugal | 2,220 | Sunk | |
| 24 June 1917 | Helma | Norway | 1,131 | Sunk | |
| 10 July 1917 | Kansan |  United States | 7,913 | Sunk | |
| 20 July 1917 | Kageshima Maru |  Japan | 4,697 | Sunk | |
| 23 July 1917 | Frithjof | Norway | 1,389 | Sunk | |
| 24 July 1917 | Sir Walter | United Kingdom | 492 | Sunk | |
| 25 July 1917 | Baldwin | Norway | 1,130 | Sunk | |
| 26 July 1917 | Bertha | Portugal | 107 | Sunk | |
| 26 July 1917 | Locksley | Norway | 2,487 | Sunk | |
| 26 July 1917 | Venturoso | Portugal | 290 | Sunk | |
| 28 July 1917 | Hildur | Norway | 961 | Sunk | |
| 29 July 1917 | Gyldenpris | Norway | 2,667 | Sunk | |
| 10 August 1917 | War Patrol | United Kingdom | 2,045 | Sunk | |
| 1 September 1917 | Erato | United Kingdom | 2,041 | Sunk | |
| 2 September 1917 | Ker Durand | France | 56 | Sunk | |
| 2 September 1917 | Rytonhall | United Kingdom | 4,203 | Sunk | |
| 4 September 1917 | Sadi Carnot | France | 354 | Sunk | |
| 5 September 1917 | Alesia | France | 6,006 | Damaged | |
| 15 September 1917 | Sommeina | United Kingdom | 3,317 | Sunk | |
| 26 September 1917 | Acorn | United Kingdom | 112 | Sunk | |
| 26 September 1917 | Port Victor | United Kingdom | 7,280 | Damaged | |
| 6 October 1917 | Lamartine | France | 424 | Sunk | |
| 6 October 1917 | Le Coq | United Kingdom | 3,419 | Damaged | |
| 2 November 1917 | Farraline | United Kingdom | 1,226 | Sunk | |
| 27 November 1917 | Gladys | United Kingdom | 179 | Sunk | |
| 9 February 1918 | Fantoft | Norway | 1,034 | Sunk | |
| 19 September 1918 | Belliqueux | France | Unknown | Sunk |