SM UB-39

SM UB-39[Note 1] was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-39.
SM UB-45 a U-boat similar to UB-39
History
German Empire
NameUB-39
Ordered22 July 1915[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[1]
Cost1,152,000 German Papiermark[2]
Yard number263[3]
Launched29 December 1915[3]
Completed28 April 1916[3]
Commissioned29 April 1916[2]
FateSunk by mine 15 May 1917[2]
General characteristics
Class and typeGerman Type UB II submarine
Displacement
  • 274 t (270 long tons) surfaced
  • 303 t (298 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 3.85 m (12 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Draught3.69 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 9.15 knots (16.95 km/h; 10.53 mph) surfaced
  • 5.81 knots (10.76 km/h; 6.69 mph) submerged
Range
  • 6,450 nmi (11,950 km; 7,420 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement2 officers, 21 men
Armament
Notes42-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Flandern Flotilla
  • 21 June 1916 – 7 May 1917
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Werner Fürbringer[4]
  • 29 April – 7 November 1916
  • Oblt.z.S. Heinrich Küstner[5]
  • 8 November 1916 – 7 May 1917
Operations: 14 patrols
Victories:
  • 93 merchant ships sunk
    (89,998 GRT)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged
    (7,215 GRT)

Design

A German Type UB II submarine, UB-39 had a displacement of 274 tonnes (270 long tons) when at the surface and 303 tonnes (298 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 36.90 m (121 ft 1 in), a beam of 4.37 m (14 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two Körting six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total 284 metric horsepower (280 shp; 209 kW), two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors producing 280 metric horsepower (210 kW; 280 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 9.15 knots (16.95 km/h; 10.53 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.81 knots (10.76 km/h; 6.69 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 6,450 nautical miles (11,950 km; 7,420 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UB-39 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes, four torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of twenty-one crew members and two officers and a 42-second dive time.[2]

Construction and career

The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 28 December 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 29 April 1916 as SM UB-38.

The submarine sank 93 ships in 14 patrols. UB-39 struck a mine and sank in the English Channel on 17 May 1917.[2]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[6]
10 July 1916 Staffa  United Kingdom 176 Sunk
13 July 1916 Dalhousie  United Kingdom 89 Sunk
13 July 1916 Florence  United Kingdom 149 Sunk
13 July 1916 Mary Ann  United Kingdom 5 Sunk
13 July 1916 Success  United Kingdom 6 Sunk
14 July 1916 Ben Aden  United Kingdom 176 Sunk
14 July 1916 Bute  United Kingdom 176 Sunk
14 July 1916 Girls Friend  United Kingdom 55 Sunk
14 July 1916 Langley Castle  United Kingdom 93 Sunk
14 July 1916 Recorder  United Kingdom 149 Sunk
1 August 1916 Braconash  United Kingdom 192 Sunk
1 August 1916 Helvetia  United Kingdom 167 Sunk
1 August 1916 King James  United Kingdom 163 Sunk
1 August 1916 Rhodesia  United Kingdom 110 Sunk
1 August 1916 Tatiana  United Kingdom 285 Sunk
1 August 1916 Zeeland  Netherlands 1,292 Sunk
2 August 1916 Olympia  United Kingdom 221 Sunk
2 August 1916 Smiling Morn  United Kingdom 126 Sunk
2 August 1916 Twiddler  United Kingdom 99 Sunk
3 August 1916 Trawler Prince  United Kingdom 126 Sunk
3 August 1916 Lucania  United Kingdom 92 Sunk
3 August 1916 Merchant Prince  United Kingdom 130 Sunk
3 August 1916 Destro  United Kingdom 859 Damaged
4 August 1916 Jägersborg  Denmark 1,797 Sunk
4 August 1916 Stamfordham  United Kingdom 921 Sunk
5 August 1916 Egyptian Prince  United Kingdom 129 Sunk
5 August 1916 St. Olive  United Kingdom 202 Sunk
6 September 1916 Ancona  United Kingdom 1,168 Damaged
6 September 1916 Strathtay  United Kingdom 4,428 Sunk
6 September 1916 Tagus  United Kingdom 937 Sunk
7 September 1916 Marguerite  France 102 Sunk
7 September 1916 Alcyon  France 163 Sunk
7 September 1916 Heathdene  United Kingdom 3,541 Sunk
7 September 1916 Messicano  Kingdom of Italy 4,065 Sunk
8 September 1916 Jeune Union  France 267 Sunk
8 September 1916 Lyderhorn  Norway 939 Sunk
8 September 1916 Olazarri  Spain 2,585 Sunk
9 September 1916 Europe  France 356 Sunk
9 September 1916 Pronto  Norway 1,411 Sunk
10 September 1916 Lexie  United Kingdom 3,778 Sunk
11 September 1916 Fredavore  Norway 1,577 Sunk
20 October 1916 Midland  United Kingdom 4,247 Sunk
20 October 1916 Secundo  Norway 1,512 Sunk
21 October 1916 Hebe  Denmark 775 Sunk
21 October 1916 Helga  Denmark 1,182 Sunk
22 October 1916 Alix  Norway 1,584 Sunk
13 November 1916 Corinth  United Kingdom 3,669 Sunk
28 November 1916 Alert  United Kingdom 289 Sunk
28 November 1916 Alison  United Kingdom 286 Sunk
28 November 1916 Ramsgarth  United Kingdom 1,553 Sunk
29 November 1916 Grace  United Kingdom 135 Sunk
29 November 1916 Saint Philippe  France 3,419 Sunk
30 November 1916 Nagata Maru  Japan 3,521 Sunk
30 November 1916 Harald  Norway 1,083 Sunk
1 December 1916 Jeanne D’arc  France 205 Sunk
2 December 1916 Palacine  Canada 3,286 Sunk
3 December 1916 Primevere  France 143 Sunk
6 December 1916 Amicitia  Norway 1,111 Sunk
7 December 1916 Bravo  Spain 1,214 Sunk
8 December 1916 Rakiura  Norway 3,569 Sunk
8 December 1916 Rollo  Denmark 2,290 Sunk
8 December 1916 Saga  Norway 433 Sunk
28 December 1916 Rouen  France 1,656 Damaged
1 January 1917 Holly Branch  United Kingdom 3,568 Sunk
1 January 1917 Leon  France 652 Sunk
2 January 1917 Carlyle  United Kingdom 466 Sunk
3 January 1917 Columbia  France 34 Sunk
3 January 1917 Diamant De La Couronne I  France 36 Sunk
3 January 1917 Diamant De La Couronne II  France 34 Sunk
3 January 1917 Formidable  France 26 Sunk
3 January 1917 Helgøy  Norway 1,806 Sunk
3 January 1917 Honneur Et Devouement  France 26 Sunk
3 January 1917 Jeanne Mathilde  France 60 Sunk
3 January 1917 La Pensee  France 30 Sunk
3 January 1917 Marie Henriette  France 25 Sunk
3 January 1917 Moderne  France 38 Sunk
3 January 1917 Pere Montfort  France 13 Sunk
3 January 1917 Pierre Le Grand  France 42 Sunk
3 January 1917 Richelieu  France 25 Sunk
3 January 1917 Saint Jacques  France 34 Sunk
3 January 1917 Saint Paul II  France 30 Sunk
3 January 1917 Petit Emile  France 60 Sunk
4 January 1917 Gabrielle Francois  France 37 Sunk
5 January 1917 Allie  United Kingdom 1,127 Sunk
5 January 1917 Markland  Norway 1,627 Sunk
4 February 1917 Dauntless  United Kingdom 2,157 Sunk
5 February 1917 Yvonne  France 123 Sunk
10 February 1917 Rancagua  France 2,729 Sunk
23 March 1917 Achille Adam  United Kingdom 460 Sunk
23 March 1917 Clan Macmillan  United Kingdom 4,525 Sunk
23 March 1917 Exchange  United Kingdom 279 Sunk
23 March 1917 O. A. Knudsen  Norway 3,532 Damaged
1 April 1917 Silvia  United Kingdom 164 Sunk
5 April 1917 Dicto  Norway 2,363 Sunk
6 April 1917 La Tour D’Auvergne  France 188 Sunk
6 April 1917 Perce Neige  France 141 Sunk
9 April 1917 Saint Maudez  France 292 Sunk

References

Notes
  1. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations
  1. Rössler 1979, p. 64.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 23–25.
  3. Rössler 1979, p. 65.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Werner Fürbringer (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Heinrich Küstner". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 39". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

Bibliography
  • Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

50°20′N 1°20′W

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