SM UC-71

History
German Empire
Name	UC-71
Ordered	12 January 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	287
Launched	12 August 1916
Commissioned	28 November 1916
Fate	Sunk on way to surrender, 20 February 1919
General characteristics
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	427 t (420 long tons), surfaced; 508 t (500 long tons), submerged;
Length	50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a; 40.30 m (132 ft 3 in) pressure hull;
Beam	5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a; 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull;
Draught	3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts; 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 600 PS (440 kW; 590 shp); 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp);
Speed	12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced; 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged;
Range	10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced; 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	26
Armament	6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes; 18 × UC 200 mines; 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern); 7 × torpedoes; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun;
Notes	35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	Flandern / Flandern II Flotilla; 3 March 1917 – 13 October 1918; I Flotilla; 13 October – 11 November 1918;
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Hans Valentiner; 28 November 1916 – 25 April 1917; Oblt.z.S. Hugo Thielmann; 26 April – 9 June 1917; Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Saltzwedel; 10 June – 13 September 1917; Oblt.z.S. Ernst Steindorff; 14 September 1917 – 28 January 1918; Oblt.z.S. Walter Warzecha; 29 January – 13 August 1918; Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Schmidt; 14 August – 11 November 1918;
Operations:	19 patrols
Victories:	53 merchant ships sunk ; (105,217 GRT); 10 auxiliary warships sunk ; (5,533 GRT); 16 merchant ships damaged ; (73,546 GRT); 1 warship damaged ; (1,250 tons); 1 auxiliary warship damaged ; (543 GRT);

SM UC-71 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 and was launched on 12 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 28 November 1916 as SM UC-71. In 19 patrols UC-71 was credited with sinking 63 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-71 sank on 20 February 1919 in the North Sea while on her way to be surrendered. Discovery a century later of her wreck with all hatches open suggested she had been deliberately scuttled by her own crew (all of whom survived).

History

German Empire
Name	UC-71
Ordered	12 January 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	287
Launched	12 August 1916
Commissioned	28 November 1916
Fate	Sunk on way to surrender, 20 February 1919
General characteristics
Class & type	Type UC II submarine
Displacement	427 t (420 long tons), surfaced 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length	50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a 40.30 m (132 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam	5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught	3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shafts 2 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engines, 600 PS (440 kW; 590 shp) 2 × electric motors, 620 PS (460 kW; 610 shp)
Speed	12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range	10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	26
Armament	6 × 100 cm (39.4 in) mine tubes 18 × UC 200 mines 3 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 bow/external; one stern) 7 × torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun
Notes	35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:	Flandern / Flandern II Flotilla 3 March 1917 – 13 October 1918 I Flotilla 13 October – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Hans Valentiner 28 November 1916 – 25 April 1917 Oblt.z.S. Hugo Thielmann 26 April – 9 June 1917 Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Saltzwedel 10 June – 13 September 1917 Oblt.z.S. Ernst Steindorff 14 September 1917 – 28 January 1918 Oblt.z.S. Walter Warzecha 29 January – 13 August 1918 Oblt.z.S. Eberhard Schmidt 14 August – 11 November 1918
Operations:	19 patrols
Victories:	53 merchant ships sunk (105,217 GRT) 10 auxiliary warships sunk (5,533 GRT) 16 merchant ships damaged (73,546 GRT) 1 warship damaged (1,250 tons) 1 auxiliary warship damaged (543 GRT)