Type U 27 submarine

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Class overview
BuildersKaiserliche Werft Danzig
Operators Imperial German Navy
Preceded byType U 23
Succeeded byType U 31
Completed4
Lost3
General characteristics [1]
Displacement
  • 675 t (664 long tons) surfaced
  • 876 t (862 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.48 m (11 ft 5 in)
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft)
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament

Type U 27 was a class of U-boats built before World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine. The four Type U 27 U-boats were ordered on 12 February 1912. They were very similar to the preceding Type U 19 and Type U 23.[2]

Design

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Type U 27s had an overall length of 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in) The boats' beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in), the draught was 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in), with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in – 26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced 685 tonnes (674 long tons) when surfaced and 867 t (853 long tons) when submerged.[3][4]

Type U 27s were fitted with two MAN 6-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines with a total of 2,000 metric horsepower (1,471 kW; 1,973 bhp) for use on the surface and two AEG double-acting electric motors with a total of 880 kW (1,196 PS; 1,180 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, which gave the boats a top surface speed of 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph), and 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h; 11.3 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface and 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.[3] Constructional diving depth[a] was 50 m (164 ft 1 in).[5][4]

The U-boats were armed with four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried six torpedoes. All boats received initially one or two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns. U-30 had its sole deck gun replaced in 1916 with a 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 gun. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted.[3][4]

Ships

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Name Launched[6] Commissioned[6] Merchant ships sunk
(nbr / GRT )[6] 		Warships sunk
( nbr / tons )[6] 		Fate[3]
U-27 14 July 1913 8 May 1914 9 / 29,402 2 / 6,290 Sunk on 15 August 1915 in the English Channel.
U-28 30 August 1913 26 July 1914 39 / 93,782 none Sunk on 2 September 1917 in the Arctic Ocean.
U-29 11 Oktober 1913 1 Augustus 1914 4 / 12,934 none Sunk on 18 March in the North Sea.
U-30 15 November 1913 26 August 1914 26 / 47,383 none Sunk on 22 June 1915 in an accident on the Ems river.
Raised in 1918, surrendered and scrapped in 1919–1920 at Blyth.

Footnotes

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Notes

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  1. ^ Constructional diving depth had a safety factor of 2.5, which meant that crushing depth was 2.5 times construction diving depth.[5]

Citations

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  1. ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 6–7.
  2. ^ Rössler 1981, p. 28.
  3. ^ a b c d Möller & Brack 2004, p. 25.
  4. ^ a b c Gröner 1991, p. 6.
  5. ^ a b Rössler 1981, p. 26.
  6. ^ a b c d Herzog 1993, p. 67.

Bibliography

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  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Herzog, Bodo (1993). Deutsche U-Boote : 1906 - 1966 [German U-boats : 1906 - 1966] (in German). Erlangen: Müller. ISBN 9783860700365.
  • Möller, Eberhard; Brack, Werner (2004). The Encyclopedia of U-Boats. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-85367-623-3.
  • Rössler, Eberhard (1981). The U-boat: The evolution and technical history of German submarines. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-36120-8.