SM UB-97

UB-86 and another Type III UB-boat dumped at Falmouth after explosive trials, 1921.
History
German Empire
NameUB-97
Ordered6 / 8 February 1917
BuilderAG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost3,654,000 German Papiermark
Yard number113
Launched13 June 1918
Commissioned25 July 1918
FateSurrendered 21 November 1918; used for explosive trials and dumped on beach 1920; sold for scrap 1921
General characteristics
Class & typeType UB III submarine
Displacement
  • 510 t (500 long tons) surfaced
  • 640 t (630 long tons) submerged
Length55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught3.73 m (12 ft 3 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 7,120 nmi (13,190 km; 8,190 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 depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement3 officers, 31 men
Armament
Service record
Commanders:
  • Lt.z.S.d.R. Oskar Brinkmann
  • 26 July – 14 August 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Georg Stollenz
  • 15 August – 11 November 1918
Operations: No patrols
Victories: None

SM UB-97 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 German Imperial Navy on 25 July 1918 as SM UB-97.

UB-97 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. After passing into British hands, UB-97 was towed to Falmouth along with five other U-boats for use in a series of explosive test trials by the Royal Navy in Falmouth Bay, in order to find weaknesses in their design. Following her use on 7 March 1921, UB-97 was dumped on Castle Beach and sold to R. Roskelly & Rodgers on 19 April 1921 for scrap (for £50), and partially salvaged over the following decades, although parts remain in situ.