SM U-20 (Germany)

	U-20 (second from left) in Kiel harbour, 1914
History
German Empire
Name	U-20
Ordered	25 November 1910
Builder	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Cost	2,450,000 Goldmark
Yard number	14
Laid down	7 November 1911
Launched	18 December 1912
Commissioned	5 August 1913
Fate	Grounded 4 November 1916 and destroyed by her crew the next day.
General characteristics
Class & type	German Type U 19 submarine
Displacement	650 t (640 long tons) surfaced; 837 t (824 long tons) submerged;
Length	64.15 m (210 ft 6 in)
Beam	6.10 m (20 ft)
Height	7.30 m (23 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.58 m (11 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × MAN 8-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,700 PS (1,250 kW; 1,680 shp); 2 × AEG double Motordynamos with 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,180 shp); 320 rpm submerged;
Speed	15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph) surfaced; 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) submerged;
Range	9,700 nautical miles (18,000 km; 11,200 mi) at 8 kn surfaced; 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 kn submerged;
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing; craft carried	1 dinghy
Complement	4 officers, 31 men
Armament	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) with 6 torpedoes; 1 × 105 mm gun;
Service record
Part of:	III Flotilla; 1 August 1914 – 4 November 1916;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Otto Dröscher; 5 August 1913 – 15 December 1914; Kptlt. Walther Schwieger; 16 December 1914 – 5 November 1916;
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	37 merchant ships sunk ; (145,830 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (2,246 GRT); 1 warship damaged ; (397 tons);

SM U-20 was a German Type U 19 U-boat built for service in the Imperial German Navy. She was launched on 18 December 1912, and commissioned on 5 August 1913. During World War I, she took part in operations around the British Isles. U-20 became infamous following her sinking of the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania on 7 May 1915, an act that dramatically reshaped the course of the First World War.