SM UC-92

SM UC-92 was a German Type UC III minelaying 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-92.
History
German Empire
NameUC-92
Ordered12 January 1916[1]
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg[2]
Yard number326[1]
Launched19 January 1918[1]
Commissioned14 August 1918[1]
FateSurrendered 24 November 1918; used for explosive trials and dumped on beach 1920; sold for scrap 1921
General characteristics
Class and typeGerman Type UC III submarine
Displacement
  • 491 t (483 long tons), surfaced
  • 571 t (562 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam5.54 m (18 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Draft3.77 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph), surfaced
  • 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph), submerged
Range
  • 9,850 nautical miles (18,240 km; 11,340 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), surfaced
  • 40 nmi (74 km; 46 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph), submerged
Test depth75 m (246 ft)
Complement32
Armament
Notes15-second diving time
Service record
Operations: None
Victories: None

Design

A German Type UC III submarine, UC-92 had a displacement of 491 tonnes (483 long tons) when at the surface and 571 tonnes (562 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 56.51 m (185 ft 5 in), a beam of 5.54 m (18 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.77 m (12 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 770 metric horsepower (570 kW; 760 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 15 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 75 metres (246 ft).[3]

The submarine was designed for a maximum surface speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h; 7.6 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) at 4.5 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,850 nautical miles (18,240 km; 11,340 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-92 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, fourteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 or 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.[3]

Construction, career and demise

The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 19 January 1918. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 14 August 1918 as SM UC-92.[Note 1] As with the rest of the completed UC III boats, UC-92 conducted no war patrols and sank no ships. She was surrendered on 24 November 1918. After passing into British hands, UC-92 was exhibited at Bristol along with SM U-86.

Uboats U-86 and UC-92 on exhibition in Bristol
Uboats U-86 and UC-92 on exhibition in Bristol at the end of the war. Bristol Hippodrome can be seen in the background.

Later, UC-92 was towed to Falmouth along with five other U-boats [Note 2] for use in a series of explosive test trials by the Royal Navy in Falmouth Bay, in order to find weaknesses in their design. Following her use on 7 March 1921, UC-92 was dumped on Castle Beach and sold to R. Roskelly & Rodgers on 19 April 1921 for scrap, and partially salvaged over the following decades, with some efforts noted as late as the 1960s.[4] In 2013, Wessex Archaeology, assisted by local divers with knowledge of the site, conducted a survey of UC-92, along with the other submarines. The wreck was positively identified, as UC-92 was the only one of the submarines brought to Falmouth to have been a mine-laying vessel, and her six mine tubes were identified among the surviving wreck features.[5] The lower parts of the vessel remain on the seabed just off shore, with parts of the structure breaking the surface during low water springs. Along with the remains of the other submarines brought to the bay, the site is a popular attraction for local divers.[6]

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. The other five being UB-86, UB-97, UB-106, UB-112, and UB-128.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 92". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  2. Tarrant, p. 174.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 34–35.
  4. Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. pp. 50–52, 99, 132. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
  5. "The Falmouth U-Boats, the factual story". 4 July 2017.
  6. "The U-Boat Coast". 8 August 2018.

Bibliography
  • Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
  • Dodson, Aidan (2020). "A's & A's: Japan's U-boats". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2020. Oxford, UK: Osprey. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-4728-4071-4.
  • 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.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
  • Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

50°8′50.02″N 5°3′23.33″W

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