SM UC-61
Remains of the shipwreck of SM UC-61 revealed by low tide at Wissant beach (50°53'34.9"N 1°39'52.0"E), in France (December 2018) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| German Empire | |
| Name | UC-61 |
| Ordered | 12 January 1916 |
| Builder | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Yard number | 259 |
| Laid down | 3 April 1916 |
| Launched | 11 November 1916 |
| Commissioned | 13 December 1916 |
| Fate | Stranded at Wissant near Calais; flooded and scuttled, 26 July 1917 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type UC II submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
|
| Draught | 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph), surfaced*7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph), submerged |
| Range |
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| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 26 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | 30-second diving time |
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 5 patrols |
| Victories: | |
SM UC-61 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 12 January 1916, laid down on 3 April 1916, and was launched on 11 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 13 December 1916 as SM UC-61. In five patrols UC-61 was credited with sinking or damaging 12 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-61 was stranded at Wissant, south of Calais on 26 July 1917 on her way to mine Newhaven. The U-boat's crew flooded and scuttled their ship before surrendering to French authorities. The wreckage silted up but in some years becomes visible at low tide offshore in Wissant. As of 24 January 2019, the submarine had been partially visible since December 2018, and some locals were hopeful that due to shifting winds and tides, the submarine would be visible more often.