SM UB-51

	UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-51.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-51
Ordered	20 May 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost	3,276,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	296
Launched	8 March 1917
Commissioned	26 July 1917
Fate	Surrendered 16 January 1919; broken up at Swansea
General characteristics
Class & type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced; 651 t (641 long tons) submerged;
Length	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft; 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW); 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW);
Speed	13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced; 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged;
Range	9,040 nmi (16,740 km; 10,400 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) surfaced; 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 31 men
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern); 10 torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun;
Service record
Part of:	Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla; 19 October 1917 – 11 November 1918;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Ernst Krafft; 26 July 1917 – 27 November 1918;
Operations:	6 patrols
Victories:	18 merchant ships sunk ; (47,514 GRT); 1 auxiliary warship sunk ; (257 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (3,905 GRT);

SM UB-51 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 Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 26 July 1917 as SM UB-51.^{[Note 1]}

She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-51 was surrendered 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following orders by Admiral Reinhard Scheer to return to port. UB-51 was later broken up at Swansea.^[2]

Construction

UB-51 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 8 March 1917. UB-51 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Ernst Krafft. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-51 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-51 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740 km; 10,400 mi). UB-51 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 651 t (641 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 2]}	Fate^[3]
30 September 1917	Amiral Troude	France	1,876	Sunk
5 October 1917	Forestmoor	United Kingdom	2,844	Sunk
12 October 1917	Themis	Norway	7,403	Sunk
17 November 1917	Clan Maccorquodale	United Kingdom	6,517	Sunk
27 November 1917	Tungue	Portugal	8,021	Sunk
8 February 1918	Cimbrier	United Kingdom	3,905	Damaged
10 May 1918	Szechuen	United Kingdom	1,862	Sunk
16 May 1918	Mansoura	France	50	Sunk
18 May 1918	Mabrouka	France	25	Sunk
18 May 1918	Tewfig El Bari	France	100	Sunk
18 May 1918	Maria	France	60	Sunk
18 May 1918	Menewar	France	270	Sunk
18 May 1918	Mabrouka	France	25	Sunk
27 May 1918	Leasowe Castle	United Kingdom	9,737	Sunk
29 May 1918	Missir	United Kingdom	786	Sunk
11 July 1918	Bacchus	France	2,045	Sunk
20 July 1918	Kosseir	United Kingdom	1,855	Sunk
22 July 1918	HMT Ijuin	Royal Navy	257	Sunk
22 July 1918	L 1	United Kingdom	130	Sunk
28 July 1918	Hyperia	United Kingdom	3,908	Sunk

References

Notes

^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
^ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

^ Rössler, p.65
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-51". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

Bibliography

Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
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 (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.

[3] "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

[tonnage-4] Tonnages are in gross register tons

[Rossler-1] Rössler, p.65

[FOOTNOTEGröner199125–30-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.

[5] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-51". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

[1]

[2]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[3]

Type UB III submarines
SM UB-48 SM UB-49 SM UB-50 SM UB-52 SM UB-53 SM UB-54 SM UB-55 SM UB-56 SM UB-57 SM UB-58 SM UB-59 SM UB-60 SM UB-61 SM UB-62 SM UB-63 SM UB-64 SM UB-65 SM UB-66 SM UB-67 SM UB-68 SM UB-69 SM UB-70 SM UB-71 SM UB-72 SM UB-73 SM UB-74 SM UB-75 SM UB-76 SM UB-77 SM UB-78 SM UB-79 SM UB-80 SM UB-81 SM UB-82 SM UB-83 SM UB-84 SM UB-85 SM UB-86 SM UB-87 SM UB-88 SM UB-89 SM UB-90 SM UB-91 SM UB-92 SM UB-93 SM UB-94 SM UB-95 SM UB-96 SM UB-97 SM UB-98 SM UB-99 SM UB-100 SM UB-101 SM UB-102 SM UB-103 SM UB-104 SM UB-105 SM UB-106 SM UB-107 SM UB-108 SM UB-109 SM UB-110 SM UB-111 SM UB-112 SM UB-113 SM UB-114 SM UB-115 SM UB-116 SM UB-117 SM UB-118 SM UB-119 SM UB-120 SM UB-121 SM UB-122 SM UB-123 SM UB-124 SM UB-125 SM UB-126 SM UB-127 SM UB-128 SM UB-129 SM UB-130 SM UB-131 SM UB-132 SM UB-133 SM UB-136 SM UB-142 SM UB-143 SM UB-144 SM UB-145 SM UB-148 SM UB-149 SM UB-150 SM UB-154 SM UB-155
Preceded by: Type UB II Followed by: Type VII (World War II)
List of U-boats of Germany