SM UC-72

History
German Empire
Name	UC-72
Ordered	12 January 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	288
Launched	12 August 1916
Commissioned	5 December 1916
Fate	Mined in 24 August 1917
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 Flotilla; 17 February – 25 August 1917;
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Ernst Voigt; 5 December 1916 – 25 August 1917;
Operations:	8 patrols
Victories:	39 merchant ships sunk ; (58,440 GRT); 2 auxiliary warships sunk ; (259 GRT); 2 auxiliary warships damaged ; (1,529 GRT);

SM UC-72 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 5 December 1916 as SM UC-72. In eight patrols UC-72 was credited with sinking 41 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-72 disappeared after 21 August 1917.

The wreck of UC-72 was identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney off Dover in 2013. The wreck seems to have fallen victim to a mine while inbound from patrol.

History

German Empire
Name	UC-72
Ordered	12 January 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	288
Launched	12 August 1916
Commissioned	5 December 1916
Fate	Mined in 24 August 1917
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 Flotilla 17 February – 25 August 1917
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Ernst Voigt 5 December 1916 – 25 August 1917
Operations:	8 patrols
Victories:	39 merchant ships sunk (58,440 GRT) 2 auxiliary warships sunk (259 GRT) 2 auxiliary warships damaged (1,529 GRT)