German Type U 151 submarine
Encyclopedia
Type U 151 U-boat
s were a class of large, long-range submarines constructed during World War I
by the Kaiserliche Marine
.
, six further large cargo submarines were ordered, originally designed to ship material to and from locations otherwise denied German surface ship
s, such as the United States
.
On 16 December 1916, four under construction in the Reiherstieg
and Flensburger Schiffbau yards were taken over by the navy and converted to military specification as Type U 151 U-boats, being designated U-151 to U-154
. The remaining two, along with the Deutschland, which became U-155, passed into naval control in February 1917, as U-156 and U-157
.
All were fitted with two bow torpedo tubes and could carry 18 torpedoes, with the exception of the former Deutschland, which was fitted with six tubes. All were armed with two 15 cm deck guns, and carried a crew of 35. They had a cruising range of around 25000 nautical miles (46,300 km).
The success of the Type U 151 submarines led to "Project 46", the larger Type U 139
"U-cruisers", designed from the outset as military submarines.
The famous Max Valentiner
commanded a Type U 151 U-boat, U-157
, and undertook the longest cruise in the war from November 27, 1917 to April 15, 1918, a total of 139 days. High-scoring Waldemar Kophamel
also commanded a Type U 151 U-boat, U-151 in late summer and fall of 1917.
into the Kaiserliche Marine.
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s were a class of large, long-range submarines constructed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
by the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
.
Background
In addition to the cargo-carrying submarine DeutschlandGerman submarine Deutschland
Deutschland was a blockade-breaking German merchant submarine used during World War I. It was developed with private funds and operated by the North German Lloyd Line...
, six further large cargo submarines were ordered, originally designed to ship material to and from locations otherwise denied German surface ship
Surface ship
A surface ship is any type of naval ship that is confined to the surface of the sea. The term is primarily used to mean any modern vessel type that is not a submarine; although a "surface ship" may range in size from a cutter to an aircraft carrier, the weapons and tactics have some commonality,...
s, such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On 16 December 1916, four under construction in the Reiherstieg
Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik
Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik, also known as Reiherstiegwerft, was a German shipbuilding company, located on the Reiherstieg River in Hamburg. It was founded in 1706 by Lucas Kramer....
and Flensburger Schiffbau yards were taken over by the navy and converted to military specification as Type U 151 U-boats, being designated U-151 to U-154
SM U-154
SM U-154 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-154 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
. The remaining two, along with the Deutschland, which became U-155, passed into naval control in February 1917, as U-156 and U-157
SM U-157
SM U-157 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-157 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
.
All were fitted with two bow torpedo tubes and could carry 18 torpedoes, with the exception of the former Deutschland, which was fitted with six tubes. All were armed with two 15 cm deck guns, and carried a crew of 35. They had a cruising range of around 25000 nautical miles (46,300 km).
The success of the Type U 151 submarines led to "Project 46", the larger Type U 139
German Type U 139 submarine
U-139, originally designated "Project 46", was a class of large, long-range U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.-Description:Three large U-cruisers, designated Type 139, were ordered from Germaniawerft, Kiel, in August 1916...
"U-cruisers", designed from the outset as military submarines.
Service
Deutschland made two successful commercial voyages before being commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine on February 17, 1917 as U-155.The famous Max Valentiner
Max Valentiner
Captain Christian August Max Ahlmann Valentiner was a German U-boat commander during World War I.He was the third highest-scoring U-boat commander of the war, and was awarded the Pour le Mérite, the highest Prussian military order until the end of the war, for his achievements.He was also branded...
commanded a Type U 151 U-boat, U-157
SM U-157
SM U-157 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-157 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
, and undertook the longest cruise in the war from November 27, 1917 to April 15, 1918, a total of 139 days. High-scoring Waldemar Kophamel
Waldemar Kophamel
Commander Waldemar Kophamel was a successful and highly decorated German U-boat commander in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I....
also commanded a Type U 151 U-boat, U-151 in late summer and fall of 1917.
List of Type U 151 submarines
Seven Type U 151 submarines were built, of which six were commissionedShip commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
into the Kaiserliche Marine.
- SM U-151
- SM U-152SM U-152SM U-152 was a German Type U 151 submarine of the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I.Built at Hamburg, the submarine was commissioned in October 1917...
- SM U-153SM U-153SM U-153 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-153 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
- SM U-154SM U-154SM U-154 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-154 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
- SM U-155, the former merchant submarine Deutschland
- SM U-156, probably lost to a mine in September 1918
- SM U-157SM U-157SM U-157 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-157 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....