| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UC-42 |
| Ordered | 20 November 1915 |
| Builder | AG Vulcan, Hamburg |
| Yard number | 75 |
| Launched | 21 September 1916 |
| Commissioned | 18 November 1916 |
| Fate | Sunk by own mine, 10 September 1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type UC II submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 26 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | 48-second diving time |
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 6 patrols |
| Victories: | |
SM UC-42 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 21 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 November 1916 as SM UC-42.
Design
A Type UC II submarine, UC-42 had a displacement of 400 tonnes (390 long tons) when at the surface and 480 tonnes (470 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 49.45 m (162 ft 3 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 260 metric horsepower (190 kW; 260 shp) (a total of 520 metric horsepower (380 kW; 510 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.7 knots (21.7 km/h; 13.5 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.7 knots (12.4 km/h; 7.7 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 9,410 nautical miles (17,430 km; 10,830 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-42 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
Service
In a career that encompassed six patrols, operating from 1 January 1917, UC-42 succeeded in sinking fourteen vessels totaling 9,877 GRT, and disabling a warship of 1,210 tons displacement.
Fate
UC-42 sailed on her last patrol on 1 September 1917.
On 31 October 1917 Torpedo Boat TB 055 was accompanying minesweepers operating at the entrance to Cork harbour. At 1500 hours an oil track was seen floating on the surface of the water. Following it to its source, TB 055 used its hydrophone to see if the oil was coming from a submarine. Loud mechanical sounds, of "hammering" and "turbine-like noises" were reported and, believing this to be a U-boat, a marker buoy was dropped, followed shortly after by a depth charge. Following detonation of the charge, TB 055 returned to the area and found that the volume of floating oil had increased, and there were bubbles rising to the surface.
TB 055 signalled the nearby armed minesweeper HMT Sarba for assistance. Sarba used her hydrophone but detected no sounds from the presumed submarine. A second depth charge was dropped and Sarba remained on station overnight. The following morning HMD Sunshine and TB 058 swept around the spot, to confirm that the incident had not been a false alarm caused by old wreckage. On 2 November oil was still coming to the surface and dockyard divers arrived to inspect the assumed wreck. The divers reported a German U-boat lying on the seabed with her stern blown off, and a brass plate on her conning tower reading "C42, 1916" identified her as UC-42. No survivors were ever reported even though some of the hatches were found to have been opened. It was thought likely that the submarine had been sunk by one of her own mines detonating under her stern while minelaying.
When the sinking and identification of the submarine was reported, the British Admiralty requested an identifiable item from the vessel for verification purposes, and in December 1917 divers recovered the telephone buoy from the conning tower. The Royal Navy's Naval Intelligence Department were aware of submarine's 1 September departure date from Belgium and were sceptical about the hammering and engine noises reported by TB 055. The Admiralty reported that "The longest known cruise of a UC boat in home waters is 24 days, so UC-42 must have been dead long before TB 055 and Sarba dropped the depth charges".
Rediscovery
The wreck was relocated on 6 November 2010 by Irish divers Ian Kelleher, Niall O'Regan, Philip Johnston, Eoin McGarry and Timmy Carey in just 27 metres (89 ft) of water off Roche's Point Co. Cork. It was found with "little obvious explosive damage". A serial number stamped on one of the propellers allowed positive identification as the UC-42. A supposed propeller was discovered 15 meters from the submarine in 2022 was raised in 2024.
A commemorative plaque was subsequently attached to the boat's stern and under International Maritime Law she is now a War Grave, untouchable and the responsibility of the Deutsche Marine.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 February 1917 | Frolic |  United Kingdom
|
183 | Sunk |
| 22 February 1917 | Lord Collingwood | United Kingdom
|
148 | Sunk |
| 28 March 1917 | Urania |  Norway
|
1,688 | Sunk |
| 29 March 1917 | Ruby | United Kingdom
|
234 | Sunk |
| 31 March 1917 | HMS Carnation |  Royal Navy
|
1,210 | Damaged |
| 4 May 1917 | Sophie |  Denmark
|
64 | Sunk |
| 5 May 1917 | Angela |  United Kingdom
|
122 | Sunk |
| 6 May 1917 | Hebble | United Kingdom
|
904 | Sunk |
| 9 May 1917 | Kitty | United Kingdom
|
181 | Sunk |
| 17 June 1917 | Lizzie Westoll | United Kingdom
|
2,855 | Sunk |
| 12 July 1917 | HMT George Milburn | Royal Navy
|
235 | Sunk |
| 6 August 1917 | Baysoto | United Kingdom
|
3,082 | Sunk |
| 14 August 1917 | Jane S. | United Kingdom
|
12 | Sunk |
| 5 September 1917 | Glynn | United Kingdom
|
78 | Sunk |
| 5 September 1917 | Industry | United Kingdom
|
91 | 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.
- Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 42". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- Tarrant, p. 173.
- ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto Heinrich Tornow". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Hans Albrecht Müller". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- Stokes, Roy (2004). U-Boat Alley: The U-Boat War in the Irish Channel During World War 1. ISBN 978-0-9549186-0-6.
- "Divers ask that maritime grave be respected". Irish Times. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
- "Cork divers discover WWI U-boat". RTÉ. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
- O'Sullivan, Jennie (17 June 2024). "Propeller believed to be from WWI German submarine recovered off Cork". RTÉ. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- Boucher, Peter. "Nautical Log". SM UC 42. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 42". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
Bibliography
- Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
- 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.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
- Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.
External links
- wrecksite.eu
- Cork divers discover WWI U-boat RTÉ news report of find, January 2011.
51°44′N 08°12′W / 51.733°N 8.200°W / 51.733; -8.200
| Type UC II submarines | |
|---|---|
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| Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1917 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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1916  1917  1918 August 1917 October 1917 | |