SM_UB-113
SM UB-113 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 April 1918 as SM UB-113.[Note 1]
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-113. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-113 |
| Ordered | 6 / 8 February 1917[1] |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Cost | 3,714,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 319 |
| Launched | 23 September 1917[2] |
| Commissioned | 25 April 1918[2] |
| Fate | Lost September / October 1918[2] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type | German Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
| Draught | 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[2] |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 2 patrols |
| Victories: |
3 merchant ships sunk (4,013 GRT) |
UB-113 was lost in autumn 1918 for unknown reasons.[2] According to recent sources, SM UB-113 probably crossed paths with the French gunboat l'Engageante on 29 August in the Gulf of Gascony and was sunk. Occasional confusion with the SM UB-123, which also met a mysterious fate, remains.
She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 23 September 1917. UB-113 was commissioned in the spring the next year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-113 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-113 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-113 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 July 1918 | Kongen |  Norway |
714 | Sunk |
| 17 August 1918 | Eros |  United Kingdom |
1,122 | Sunk |
| 23 September 1918 | Aldershot | United Kingdom |
2,177 | Sunk |
Notes
- "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- Tonnages are in gross register tons
Citations
- Rössler 1979, p. 66.
- Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 113". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- 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). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.