Type U 5 submarine
German pre-World War I submarine class
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Type U 5 was a class of four gasoline-powered U-boats built between 1908 and 1911 which served in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. The class was the earliest U-boat type to see active service during the war.[a] All four of the boats were lost within 14 months of war breaking out.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Preceded by | Type U 3 |
| Succeeded by | Type U 9 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Lost | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 24 men |
| Armament |
|
Design
Type U 5s had an overall length of 57.30 m (188 ft 0 in) The boats' beam was 5.60 m (18 ft 4 in), the draught was 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in). The boats displaced 505 tonnes (497 long tons) when surfaced and 636 t (626 long tons) when submerged.[1][2]
Type U 5s were fitted with two Körting 6-cylinder and two 8-cylinder two-stroke paraffin engines with a total of 900 metric horsepower (662 kW; 888 bhp) for use on the surface and two SSW double-acting electric motors with a total of 760 kW (1,033 PS; 1,019 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, which gave the boats a top surface speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph), and 10.2 knots (18.9 km/h; 11.7 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) on the surface and 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.[1][2] Constructional diving depth[b] was 50 m (164 ft 1 in).[3][2]
The U-boats were armed with four 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried six torpedoes. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 24 enlisted men.[4][2]
Type U 5 U-boats were the first U-boats to be equipped with a radiotelegraphy station. This station had a range of 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) between U-boats and double that distance towards shore stations. Two aerial masts were installed on the deck, which could be lowered from inside the boat. A crude underwater telegraph consisting of a bell with a clapper activated by compressed air, was also introduced with the Type U 5s, but this system was not deemed satisfactory.[5]
List of Type U 5 boats
All four boats of the class were built at Germaniawerft in Kiel starting in 1908. They were commissioned between July 1910 and June 1911.
| Name | Launched[6] | Commissioned[6] | Ships sunk (GRT)[6] | Fate[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-5 | 8 January 1910 | 2 July 1910 | None | Lost around 18 December 1914 in the English Channel. |
| U-6 | 18 May 1910 | 12 August 1910 | 16 (9,614)[c] | Sunk by HMS E16 on 15 September 1915 off Stavanger. |
| U-7 | 28 July 1910 | 18 July 1911 | None | Sunk accidentally by U-22 on 21 January 1915 off the north coast of the Netherlands. |
| U-8 | 14 March 1911 | 18 June 1911 | 5 (15,049) | Scuttled on 4 March 1915 in the English Channel after becoming caught in anti-submarine nets. |