SM U-75

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-72.

History

German Empire
Name:	U-75
Ordered:	9 March 1915
Builder:	AG Vulkan, Hamburg
Yard number:	57
Launched:	30 January 1916
Commissioned:	26 March 1916
Fate:	13 December 1917 - Struck a mine off Terschelling. 23 dead, unknown number of survivors.^[1]
General characteristics ^[2]
Class and type:	German Type UE I submarine
Displacement:	755 t (743 long tons) surfaced 832 t (819 long tons) submerged
Length:	56.80 m (186 ft 4 in) (o/a) 46.66 m (153 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Beam:	5.90 m (19 ft 4 in) (o/a) 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draught:	4.86 m (15 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) surfaced 2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) submerged
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2× 1.38 m (4 ft 6 in) propellers
Speed:	9.9 knots (18.3 km/h; 11.4 mph) surfaced 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph) submerged
Range:	7,880 nmi (14,590 km; 9,070 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 83 nmi (154 km; 96 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement:	4 officers, 28 enlisted
Armament:	2 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (one starboard bow, one starbord stern) 4 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy I Flotilla 29 June 1916 – 13 December 1917
Commanders:	Kptlt. Curt Beitzen^[3] 26 March 1916 – 1 May 1917 Kptlt. Fritz Schmolling^[4] 2 May – 13 December 1917
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	11 ships sunk 18,347 GRT 2 ships damaged 4,192 GRT 1 merchant ship taken as prize 1,700 GRT 1 warship sunk 10,850 GRT.^[1]

SM U-75 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-75 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. On her first mission, U-75 laid the mine that sank the cruiser HMS Hampshire during her voyage to Russia carrying British Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. The cruiser sank at 59°07′N 03°24′W / 59.117°N 3.400°W / 59.117; -3.400 west of the Orkney Islands with heavy loss of life in a force 9 gale.

Design

German Type UE I submarines were preceded by the longer Type U 66 submarines. U-75 had a displacement of 755 tonnes (743 long tons) when at the surface and 832 tonnes (819 long tons) while submerged.^[2] It had a total length of 186 ft 4 in (56.79 m), a pressure hull length of 153 ft 1 in (46.66 m), a beam of 19 ft 4 in (5.89 m), a height of 27 ft 1 in (8.26 m), and a draught of 15 ft 11 in (4.85 m). The submarine was powered by two 900 metric horsepower (660 kW; 890 shp) engines for use while surfaced, and two 900 metric horsepower (660 kW; 890 shp) engines for use while submerged. It had two propeller shafts. It was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 10.6 knots (19.6 km/h; 12.2 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph).^[2] When submerged, it could operate for 83 nautical miles (154 km; 96 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, it could travel 7,880 nautical miles (14,590 km; 9,070 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). U-75 was fitted with two 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one at the starboard bow and one starboard stern), four torpedoes, and one 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in) deck machine gun. It had a complement of thirty-two (twenty-eight crew members and four officers).^[2]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 1]}	Fate^[5]
5 June 1916	HMS Hampshire	Royal Navy	10,850	Sunk
22 June 1916	HMD Laurel Crown	Royal Navy	81	Sunk
7 August 1916	HMT John High	Royal Navy	228	Sunk
12 August 1916	Kovda	Russian Empire	1,125	Sunk
20 September 1916	Etton	United Kingdom	2,831	Sunk
16 November 1916	Fenja	Denmark	433	Sunk
22 November 1916	Reserv	Sweden	1,700	Captured as a prize
23 November 1916	Arthur	Sweden	1,435	Sunk
9 April 1917	Ganslei	Russian Empire	1,273	Sunk
15 April 1917	HMT Arctic Prince	Royal Navy	194	Damaged
10 August 1917	Solglimt	Norway	1,037	Sunk
16 August 1917	Palatine	United Kingdom	2,110	Sunk
3 September 1917	Treverbyn	United Kingdom	4,163	Sunk
22 November 1917	King Idwal	United Kingdom	3,631	Sunk
10 December 1917	Aureole	United Kingdom	3,998	Damaged

References

Notes

↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

1 2 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 75". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
1 2 3 4 5 Gröner 1991, pp. 10-11.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Curt Beitzen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Fritz Schmolling". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 75". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 18 January 2015.

Bibliography

Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

German Type UE I submarines

U-71 U-72 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80

Preceded by: Type U 66 Followed by:Type U 81 List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1917

Shipwrecks	1 Dec: Washington 2 Dec: SM UB-81 6 Dec: USS Jacob Jones, Mont-Blanc, SM UC-69 8 Dec: USS Rush 9 Dec: SM UB-18 10 Dec: SM UB-75, SMS Wien 12 Dec: USS Elizabeth, HMS Partridge, HMS Wolverine 13 Dec: SM U-75 14 Dec: Châteaurenault, SM UC-38 17 Dec: USS F-1 19 Dec: SM UB-56 24 Dec: HMS Penshurst 25 Dec: Ajax, Espagne , SM U-87 30 Dec: HMT Aragon, HMS Attack 31 Dec: USS Fli-Hawk, Vigrid

Other incidents	6 Dec: Halifax Explosion, Imo, Stella Maris, SM U-96 17 Dec: USS F-3 Unknown date: HMS Carysfort

1916 1917 1918 November 1917 January 1918

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