| 
| History | 
| German Empire | 
| Name | U-72 | 
| Ordered | 6 January 1915 | 
| Builder | AG Vulkan, Hamburg | 
| Yard number | 56 | 
| Launched | 31 October 1915 | 
| Commissioned | 26 January 1916 | 
| Fate | 1 November 1918 - Scuttled during the evacuation of Cattaro in position 42°30′N 18°41′E / 42.500°N 18.683°E / 42.500; 18.683 | 
| General characteristics  | 
| Class & type | Type UE I submarine | 
| Displacement | 
- 755 t (743 long tons) surfaced
 
- 832 t (819 long tons) submerged
 
  | 
| Length |  | 
| Beam | 
- 5.90 m (19 ft 4 in) (o/a)
 
- 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in) (pressure hull)
 
  | 
| Height | 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in) | 
| Draught | 4.86 m (15 ft 11 in) | 
| Installed power | 
- 2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) surfaced
 
- 2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) submerged
 
  | 
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2× 1.38 m (4 ft 6 in) propellers | 
| Speed | 
- 10.6 knots (19.6 km/h; 12.2 mph) surfaced
 
- 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph) submerged
 
  | 
| Range | 
- 7,880 nmi (14,590 km; 9,070 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
 
- 83 nmi (154 km; 96 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
 
  | 
| Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) | 
| Complement | 4 officers, 28 enlisted | 
| Armament |  | 
| Service record | 
| Part of: | 
- I Flotilla
 
- 11 April – 17 September 1916
 
- Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer II Flotilla
 
- 17 September 1916 – 1 November 1918
 
  | 
| Commanders: | 
- Kptlt. Ernst Krafft
 
- 28 January 1916 – 17 July 1917
 
- Kptlt. Johannes Feldkirchner
 
- 18 July – 5 November 1917
 
- Oblt.z.S. Erich Schulze
 
- 6 November – 31 December 1917
 
- Oblt.z.S. Hermann Bohm
 
- 1 January – 31 October 1918
 
  | 
| Operations: | 
4 patrols | 
| Victories: | 
- 18 merchant ships sunk 
 (38,570 GRT) 
- 3 warships sunk 
 (26 tons) 
- 4 merchant ships damaged 
 (21,513 GRT) 
- 1 warship damaged 
 (Unknown tons) 
  | 
SM U-72 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-72 was engaged in the commerce war in First Battle of the Atlantic.