Imperial German Navy submarine
| History |
German Empire |
Name | U-54 |
Ordered | 23 August 1914 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 236 |
Laid down | 18 March 1915 |
Launched | 22 February 1916 |
Commissioned | 25 May 1916 |
Fate | 24 November 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at Taranto in May 1919.[1] |
General characteristics |
Class and type | Type 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)
|
Height | 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in) |
Draught | 3.64 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
|
Propulsion | 2 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 depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
Complement | 36 |
Armament | |
Service record |
Part of: |
- II Flotilla
- 2 July 1916 – 11 November 1918
| Commanders: |
- Kptlt. Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer[3]
- 16 May 1916 – 19 May 1917
- Kptlt. Kurt Heeseler[4]
- 20 May 1917 – 22 March 1918
- Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Ruckteschell[5]
- 23 March – 11 November 1918
| Operations: |
12 patrols | Victories: |
- 26 merchant ships sunk
(66,713 GRT)
- 1 warship sunk
(1,290 tons)
- 3 merchant ships damaged
(15,362 GRT)
- 1 auxiliary warship damaged
(2,485 GRT)
|
SM U-54 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.
U-54 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
Summary of raiding history
Date
|
Name
|
Nationality
|
Tonnage[Note 1]
|
Fate[6]
|
3 February 1917
|
Tamara
|
Norway
|
453
|
Sunk
|
4 February 1917
|
Floridian
|
United Kingdom
|
4,777
|
Sunk
|
4 February 1917
|
Palmleaf
|
United Kingdom
|
5,489
|
Sunk
|
5 February 1917
|
Ainsdale
|
United Kingdom
|
1,825
|
Damaged
|
5 February 1917
|
Azul
|
United Kingdom
|
3,074
|
Sunk
|
7 February 1917
|
Wallace
|
United Kingdom
|
3,930
|
Damaged
|
7 February 1917
|
Saxonian
|
United Kingdom
|
4,855
|
Sunk
|
15 March 1917
|
Eugene Pergeline
|
France
|
2,203
|
Sunk
|
1 April 1917
|
Consul Persson
|
Norway
|
1,835
|
Sunk
|
1 April 1917
|
Fjelland
|
Norway
|
387
|
Sunk
|
2 April 1917
|
Havlyst
|
Norway
|
532
|
Sunk
|
3 June 1917
|
San Lorenzo
|
United Kingdom
|
9,607
|
Damaged
|
7 June 1917
|
Jonathan Holt
|
United Kingdom
|
1,523
|
Sunk
|
13 June 1917
|
Darius
|
United Kingdom
|
3,426
|
Sunk
|
23 July 1917
|
Ashleigh
|
United Kingdom
|
6,985
|
Sunk
|
23 July 1917
|
Huelva
|
United Kingdom
|
4,867
|
Sunk
|
25 July 1917
|
Rustington
|
United Kingdom
|
3,071
|
Sunk
|
26 July 1917
|
Somerset
|
United Kingdom
|
7,163
|
Sunk
|
31 July 1917
|
Alcides
|
Norway
|
2,704
|
Sunk
|
16 September 1917
|
Arabis
|
United Kingdom
|
3,928
|
Sunk
|
17 September 1917
|
Niemen
|
France
|
1,888
|
Sunk
|
19 September 1917
|
Marthe Marguerite
|
France
|
588
|
Sunk
|
24 September 1917
|
Louis Bossert
|
Norway
|
605
|
Sunk
|
25 September 1917
|
Marceau
|
France
|
292
|
Sunk
|
30 April 1918
|
HMS Starmount
|
Royal Navy
|
2,485
|
Damaged
|
8 May 1918
|
Dux
|
United Kingdom
|
1,349
|
Sunk
|
8 May 1918
|
Princess Dagmar
|
United Kingdom
|
913
|
Sunk
|
10 May 1918
|
Wileysike
|
United Kingdom
|
2,501
|
Sunk
|
16 July 1918
|
HMS Anchusa
|
Royal Navy
|
1,290
|
Sunk
|
27 September 1918
|
En Avant
|
France
|
86
|
Sunk
|
29 September 1918
|
Libourne
|
United Kingdom
|
1,219
|
Sunk
|
References
Notes
Citations
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.
External links
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