U-56 arriving in a spanish port
History
German Empire
NameU-56
Ordered23 August 1914
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number238
Laid down28 December 1914
Launched18 April 1916
Commissioned23 June 1916
FateMissing since 3 November 1916. 35 dead (all hands lost)
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeType U 51 submarine
Displacement
  • 715 t (704 long tons) surfaced
  • 902 t (888 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced
  • 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement36
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • II Flotilla
  • 18 June – 3 November 1916
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Hermann Lorenz[2]
  • 24 February – 3 November 1916
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: 5 merchant ships sunk
(5,701 GRT)

SM U-56[Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-56 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

On 2 November 1916, U-56 was attacked by gunfire from the Imperial Russian Navy destroyer Grozovoi off Khorne Island, Norway (near Vardø). U-56 survived this attack. U-56 dropped off the crew of the Norwegian merchant ship Ivanhoe ashore at 07:45 on 3 November 1916 at Lodsvik. The Norwegian sailors were aboard the ship during the action of the previous day and their description matches with the Russian account.[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[4]
22 October 1916 Theodosi Tschernigowski  Russia 327 Sunk
23 October 1916 Rensfjell  Norway 781 Sunk
25 October 1916 Dag  Norway 963 Sunk
26 October 1916 Oola  United Kingdom 2,494 Sunk
1 November 1916 Ivanhoe  Norway 1,136 Sunk

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. ↑ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. ↑ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  2. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hermann Lorenz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 56". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 56". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

Bibliography

  • 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.

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