SM_U-8 Knowpia

	SM U-8 sinking after being scuttled on March 4, 1915
History
German Empire
Name	U-8
Ordered	8 April 1908
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	2,540,000 Goldmark
Yard number	150
Laid down	19 May 1909
Launched	14 March 1911
Commissioned	18 June 1911
Fate	Trapped in nets, forced to surface and scuttled under gunfire from HMS Gurkha and Maori at position 50°56′N 01°16′E / 50.933°N 1.267°E on 4 March 1915
General characteristics
Class and type	German Type U 5 submarine
Displacement	505 t (497 long tons) surfaced; 636 t (626 long tons) submerged;
Length	57.30 m (188 ft) (o/a); 43.10 m (141 ft 5 in) (pressure hull);
Beam	5.60 m (18 ft 4 in) (o/a); 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in) (pressure hull);
Draught	3.55 m (11 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × Körting 6-cylinder and 2 × Körting 8-cylinder two stroke paraffin motors with 900 PS (660 kW; 890 shp); 2 × SSW electric motors with 1,040 PS (760 kW; 1,030 shp); 550 rpm surfaced; 600 rpm submerged;
Speed	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced; 10.2 knots (18.9 km/h; 11.7 mph) submerged;
Range	3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Test depth	30 m (98 ft)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	1 dinghy
Complement	4 officers, 25 men
Armament	4 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) with 6 torpedoes; 1 × 5 cm (2.0 in) SK L/40 gun; 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss gun;
Service record
Part of:	I Flotilla; 1 August 1914 – 4 March 1915;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Konrad Gansser; 1–31 August 1914; Kptlt. Alfred Stoß; 1 September 1914 – 4 March 1915;
Operations:	1 patrol
Victories:	5 merchant ships sunk; (15,049 GRT)

SM U-8 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.

Service history edit

U-8 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Fate edit

Trapped in nets, forced to surface and scuttled under gunfire from HMS Gurkha and Maori, in the English Channel, at position 50°56′N 01°16′E / 50.933°N 1.267°E / 50.933; 1.267. In June 2015 the submarine's propeller, which had been illegally removed from the wreck, was recovered and presented to the German Navy. It will be exhibited at the Laboe Naval Memorial near Kiel.^[3]^[4] In July 2016 the wreck of U-8 was officially designated as a protected site.^[5] The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

Summary of raiding history edit

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[6]
23 February 1915	Branksome Chine	United Kingdom	2,026	Sunk
23 February 1915	Oakby	United Kingdom	1,976	Sunk
24 February 1915	Harpalion	United Kingdom	5,867	Sunk
24 February 1915	Rio Parana	United Kingdom	4,015	Sunk
24 February 1915	Western Coast	United Kingdom	1,165	Sunk

Note the upper rudder on the deck

References edit

^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Konrad Gansser (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alfred Stoß". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
^ "WW1 German U-boat propeller returned". BBC News. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
^ "A symbol of friendship and reconcilation(sic)..." Maritime and Coastguard Agency. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
^ "British A3 submarine sunk off Jurassic Coast in 1912 gets protected status". Dorset Echo. Newsquest Media. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 8". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2014.

Bibliography edit

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 (1985). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkriegs, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935–1945 [The German Submarines and Their Shipyards: Submarine Construction Until the End of the First World War] (in German). Vol. I. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.

External links edit

'U-8 Off South Varne Buoy, English Channel: Undesignated Site Assessment'
Historic England project to research First World War Submarines Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine
Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1430265)". National Heritage List for England.

[1] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Konrad Gansser (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 March 2015.

[2] Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alfred Stoß". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 March 2015.

[3] "WW1 German U-boat propeller returned". BBC News. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.

[4] "A symbol of friendship and reconcilation(sic)..." Maritime and Coastguard Agency. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.

[5] "British A3 submarine sunk off Jurassic Coast in 1912 gets protected status". Dorset Echo. Newsquest Media. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.

[6] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 8". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2014.

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