SM UB-56 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 Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 19 July 1917 as SM UB-56.[Note 1]
UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-56.
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History | |
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German Empire | |
Name | UB-56 |
Ordered | 20 May 1916[2] |
Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
Cost | 3,276,000 German Papiermark |
Yard number | 268 |
Laid down | 5 September 1916[3] |
Launched | 6 June 1917[1] |
Commissioned | 19 July 1917[1] |
Fate | Sunk 19 December 1917 at 50°58′N 01°21′E / 50.967°N 1.350°E by a mine, 37 dead[1] |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | German Type UB III submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 55.85 m (183 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
Beam | 5.80 m (19 ft) |
Draught | 3.72 m (12 ft 2 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[1] |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 4 patrols |
Victories: |
4 merchant ships sunk (5,387 GRT) |
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-56 was sunk at 23:41 on 19 December 1917 at 50°58′N 01°21′E / 50.967°N 1.350°E after striking a mine, 37 crew members lost their lives in the event.[1]
She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 6 June 1917. UB-56 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-56 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-56 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi). UB-56 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 646 t (636 long tons; 712 short tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[5] |
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13 November 1917 | Atlas | United Kingdom | 989 | Sunk |
13 November 1917 | Axwell | United Kingdom | 1,442 | Sunk |
17 November 1917 | Lalen Mendi | Spain | 2,183 | Sunk |
21 November 1917 | Maine | France | 773 | Sunk |