SM UB-97
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SM UB-97 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 July 1918 as SM UB-97.[Note 1]
UB-86 and another Type III UB-boat dumped at Falmouth after explosive trials, 1921. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UB-97 |
| Ordered | 6 / 8 February 1917[1] |
| Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg |
| Cost | 3,654,000 German Papiermark |
| Yard number | 113 |
| Launched | 13 June 1918[2] |
| Commissioned | 25 July 1918[2] |
| Fate | Surrendered 21 November 1918; used for explosive trials and dumped on beach 1920; sold for scrap 1921 |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class & type | Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 3.73 m (12 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 3 officers, 31 men[2] |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Commanders | |
| Operations | No patrols |
| Victories | None |
UB-97 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. After passing into British hands, UB-97 was towed to Falmouth along with five other U-boats [Note 2] for use in a series of explosive test trials by the Royal Navy in Falmouth Bay, in order to find weaknesses in their design. Following her use on 7 March 1921, UB-97 was dumped on Castle Beach and sold to R. Roskelly & Rodgers on 19 April 1921 for scrap (for £50), and partially salvaged over the following decades, although parts remain in situ.[5]
Construction
he was built by AG Vulcan of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 13 June 1918. UB-97 was commissioned later the same year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Oskar Brinkmann. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-97 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun. UB-97 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,120 nautical miles (13,190 km; 8,190 mi). UB-97 had a displacement of 510 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 640 t (630 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.