SM UC-72 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 12 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 December 1916 as SM UC-72.[1] In eight patrols UC-72 was credited with sinking 41 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-72 disappeared after 21 August 1917.
The wreck of UC-72 was identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney off Dover in 2013.[2] The wreck seems to have fallen victim to a mine while inbound from patrol.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-72 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-72 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[3] | Fate[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 March 1917 | Reward |  United Kingdom | 172 | Sunk | |
| 24 March 1917 | HMT Kings Grey | 338 | Damaged | ||
| 1 April 1917 | Eastern Belle | United Kingdom | 97 | Sunk | |
| 26 April 1917 | HMD Plantin | 84 | Sunk | ||
| 27 April 1917 | Good Hope | United Kingdom | 89 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1917 | Bayonnais |  France | 20 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1917 | Eugenie Et Lucie | France | 34 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1917 | Frere Des Cinq Soeurs | France | 20 | Sunk | |
| 29 April 1917 | Petit Ernest | France | 20 | Sunk | |
| 1 May 1917 | Acacia | France | 9 | Sunk | |
| 1 May 1917 | Antigone | France | 15 | Sunk | |
| 1 May 1917 | Camille Amelie | France | 21 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | Cancalais | France | 231 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | Keryado | 175 | Sunk | ||
| 2 May 1917 | Victoire | France | 290 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | Russie | France | 127 | Sunk | |
| 2 May 1917 | Yvonne | France | 100 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Mamelena IX |  Spain | 115 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Mamelena XII | Spain | 111 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Marne II | France | 250 | Sunk | |
| 4 May 1917 | Verdun | France | 25 | Sunk | |
| 5 May 1917 | Nydal |  Norway | 1,809 | Sunk | |
| 6 May 1917 | Francesco | 3,438 | Sunk | ||
| 28 May 1917 | Detlef Wagner | United Kingdom | 225 | Sunk | |
| 2 June 1917 | Ereaga | Spain | 2,233 | Sunk | |
| 2 June 1917 | Skarpsno | Norway | 1,766 | Sunk | |
| 2 June 1917 | St. Sunniva | Norway | 1,140 | Sunk | |
| 3 June 1917 | Rosario |  Uruguay | 1,565 | Sunk | |
| 6 June 1917 | Saint Eloi | France | 1,993 | Sunk | |
| 8 June 1917 | Sequana | 5,557 | Sunk | ||
| 3 July 1917 | Henrik | Norway | 3,928 | Sunk | |
| 7 July 1917 | Massapequa |  United States | 3,193 | Sunk | |
| 8 July 1917 | Cambronne | France | 1,863 | Sunk | |
| 8 July 1917 | M. I. Mandal |  Denmark | 1,886 | Sunk | |
| 8 July 1917 | Mary W. Bowen | United States | 2,153 | Sunk | |
| 9 July 1917 | Ceres | France | 296 | Sunk | |
| 11 July 1917 | Anglo-Patagonian | United Kingdom | 5,017 | Sunk | |
| 15 July 1917 | Trelissick | United Kingdom | 4,168 | Sunk | |
| 16 August 1917 | United Kingdom | 8,273 | Sunk | ||
| 17 August 1917 | Meuse II | France | 5,270 | Sunk | |
| 19 August 1917 | 1,191 | Damaged | |||
| 21 August 1917 | HS 4 | United Kingdom | 121 | Sunk | |
| 21 August 1917 | RB 6 | United Kingdom | 800 | Sunk |