SM UB-50 was a German Type UB III submarine

German type UB III submarine

The Type UB III submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.UB III boats carried 10 torpedoes and were armed with one 88 mm deck gun. They carried a crew of 34 and had a cruising range of around 9,000 miles...

 or U-boat

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...

 in the German Imperial Navy  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...

. The U-boat was ordered on 20 May 1916. She was commissioned into the Pola Flotilla

Pola Flotilla

The Pola flotilla was an Imperial German Navy formation set up to prosecute the U-boat campaign against Allied shipping in the Mediterranean during the First World War in support of Germany’s ally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire...

 of the German Imperial Navy on 12 July 1917 as SM UB-50.

The submarine conducted seven patrols and sank 38 ships during the war for a total loss of 97284 long tons (98,845.4 MT). She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla

Pola Flotilla

The Pola flotilla was an Imperial German Navy formation set up to prosecute the U-boat campaign against Allied shipping in the Mediterranean during the First World War in support of Germany’s ally, the Austro-Hungarian Empire...

 based in Cattaro. UB-50 surrendered on 16 January 1919 with the remainder of the Pola Flotilla following an order by Admiral Reinhard Scheer

Reinhard Scheer

Reinhard Scheer was an Admiral in the German Kaiserliche Marine. Scheer joined the navy in 1879 as an officer cadet; he progressed through the ranks, commanding cruisers and battleships, as well as major staff positions on land. At the outbreak of World War I, Scheer was the commander of the II...

 to return to port. During her passage through the Straits of Gibraltar, she managed to sink the old battleship Brittania. UB-50 was later broken up

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

 at Swansea

Swansea

Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

.

Construction

UB-50 was ordered 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...

 on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 6 January 1917. UB-50 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Franz Becker. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-50 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with an 88 millimetres (3.5 in) deck gun. UB-50 could carry a crew of up to 34 men and had a cruising range of 9040 miles (14,548.4 km). UB-50 had a displacement of 516 LT (524 t) while surfaced and 651 LT (661 t) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.5 knots (7.3 m/s) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (4.1 m/s) when submerged.

First patrol

Soon after she left Pula

Pula

Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...

, UB-50 encountered the William H. Crawford, a 1593 long tons (1,618.6 MT) American sailing ship. It sank after an attack from the U-boat stopped her. Four days later, UB-50 sighted the 800 long tons (812.8 MT) British barge R.B.40. UB 50 launched a which instead hit the British tug towing the ship, the 121 long tons (122.9 MT) H.s.3. The tug sank, but the barge was not sunk. The following day, UB-50 found two Portuguese sailboats Correiro De Sines and Comizianes Da Graca at 30 long tons (30.5 MT) and 32 long tons (32.5 MT) respectively. They were sunk 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Cape Sines. A day later, she found the Portuguese 233 long tons (236.7 MT) ship Sado, which she sank about 16 miles (25.7 km) south of her prey the day before. Four days later, UB-50 finally encountered and sank a merchant, this being the 3611 long tons (3,669 MT) British Polar Prince, carrying coal for Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

. Two days later, she sank the Fabian, a 2246 long tons (2,282 MT) British steamer going to Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, killing three. Later that day, she sank the Gioffredo Mameli, a 4124 long tons (4,190.2 MT) ton Italian steamer carrying ore. The 2464 long tons (2,503.5 MT) coal carrying Greek steamer Alkyon was attacked two days later by UB-50, sinking close off Oran

Oran

Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...

. The UB 50 followed up with the sinking of the 1670 long tons (1,696.8 MT) Norwegian steamer John Knudsen, killing one. Four days later, the 296 long tons (300.8 MT) Italian sailboat Ciro was scuttled after being hit by UB-50, the last ship she would sink before returning to base.

Second patrol

SM UB-50 began her second patrol with the sinking of the Marc Fraissinet, a 3060 long tons (3,109.1 MT) French steamer carrying wood, munitions, and hay to Bizerte. It sank 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Tabarca after being torpedoed by UB-50. Later that day UB 50 encountered the Senegal, an 845 long tons (858.6 MT) Italian steamer, sinking her off the coast of Algeria with no casualties. Three days after that, the Margram Abbey, a 4367 long tons (4,437.1 MT) British steamer carrying coal, was found and torpedoed by UB-50. It was beached off of the coast of Algeria, but the torpedo damage, which killed two, had wrecked the ship. UB 50 attacked the Antaeus, a 3061 long tons (3,110.1 MT) British steamer, three days later off of Cape Bon. There were no casualties, but the captain was taken prisoner. On the following day, UB 50 torpedoed the Amberton, a 4556 long tons (4,629.1 MT) British steamer, but she was only damaged. Four days later, the submarine found her last target of her second patrol, the 2774 long tons (2,818.5 MT) American steamer Rizal, which sank 9 miles (14.5 km) from Cape Cavallo.

Third patrol

UB-50 started out her third patrol by finding and sinking the 9 long tons (9.1 MT) Italian sailboat S. Giuseppe B. off the coast of Africa. She sank the 8293 long tons (8,426.1 MT) British steamer City of Lucknow two days later 50 miles (80.5 km) northeast of the Cani Rocks. On Christmas Day, 1917, UB-50 sank the Sant’ Antonio, an 843 long tons (856.5 MT) Italian sailing vessel, by gunfire near Bizerte

Bizerte

Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...

. On New Year's Day, 1918, the Egyptian Transport, a 4648 long tons (4,722.6 MT) British steamer, was damaged during an attack by UB-50, which killed five men. It was later beached but refloated. Two days later, the Allanton, a 4253 long tons (4,321.3 MT) British steamer carrying coal, was sunk by UB-50, which also sunk the Steelville, a 3649 long tons (3,707.6 MT) British steamer also carrying coal later that day. Four days later, UB-50 torpedoed the Arab, a 4191 long tons (4,258.3 MT) British steamer coal off the coast of Cape Serrat, killing 21.

Fourth patrol

UB-50s fourth patrol was very successful. In less than a month, she sank six vessels. The first victim was the 2457 long tons (2,496.4 MT) French steamer Saint Jean Ii, which went down 22 March 1918 off of Cap Bon

Cap Bon

Cap Bon , also Watan el-kibli, is a peninsula in far northeastern Tunisia. It is located at around . It is surrounded by the Gulf of Tunis in the north. Towns located on the peninsula include Nabeul, Kelibia and Menzel Temime. The ruins of the Punic town Kerkouane are located here....

. That same day, UB-50 managed to damage the British steamer Shadwell off of Bizerta. Four days later UB-50 sank the 11495 long tons (11,679.5 MT) Italian steamer Volturno off of Bone (Annaba), Algeria

Annaba

Annaba is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the river Seybouse. It is located in Annaba Province. With a population of 257,359 , it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria....

. On 6 April, UB-50 sank the French vessel Madeleine Iii and on 11 April, she sank the Italian sailing ship Carmela G and the British vessel Highland Prince.

Fifth patrol

UB-50 began her fifth war patrol by damaging the 3296 long tons (3,348.9 MT) British steamer Elswick Grange carrying coal off of the coast of Oran, killing one. Two days later, she ran across the 3152 long tons (3,202.6 MT) British steamer Mavisbrook carrying coal. She was torpedoed south east of Cabo de Gata, killing 18. On that same day, she came upon the 168 long tons (170.7 MT) Danish three-masted iron-hulled schooner Kirstine Jesen, sinking after being fired upon from UB-50's deck gun with no deaths. Two days later, the New Sweden, a 5319 long tons (5,404.4 MT) Swedish steamer, was hit by UB-50 and sank. Two days later, UB-50 found the 180 long tons (182.9 MT) Spanish steamer Maria Pia, which sank with no casualties. Three days after that, the 117 long tons (118.9 MT) French sailboat Animal Lafont and 257 long tons (261.1 MT) Italian sailboat Santa Teresa were torpedoed by the U-boat with no casualties.

Sixth patrol

On her sixth patrol, UB-50 encountered the Imber, a 2514 long tons (2,554.3 MT) British steamer and torpedoed her south of Cape St. Maria di Leuca, though she survived. Three days later, UB-50 sank the War Swallow, a 5216 long tons (5,299.7 MT) British merchant ship carrying coal from the River Tyne

River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...

 to Port Said

Port Said

Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...

. Another three days passed before UB-50 found her next target, the Italian steamer Adria 1, a ship carrying cotton from Palermo

Palermo

Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...

 to Tunis

Tunis

Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....

. It sank, but no lives were lost. Two days later, the 5257 long tons (5,341.4 MT) British steamer Upada was torpedoed by UB-50 killing three, but was only damaged. UB-50 sank the Messidor, a 3883 long tons (3,945.3 MT) British coal steamer two days later, sinking the ship and killing one. The following day, she torpedoed the Rutherglen, a 4214 long tons (4,281.6 MT) British steam merchant carrying coal. That was followed by an attack on the Magellan, a 3642 long tons (3,700.5 MT) British steamer on the following day. She sank with one man. The last ship sunk on the patrol was the Antonio S., a 153 long tons (155.5 MT) Italian sailboat sunk off of the coast of Tunisia.

Seventh patrol

On 9 November 1918, two days before the armistice, UB-50 sank the British battleship HMS Britannia

HMS Britannia (1904)

The sixth HMS Britannia of the British Royal Navy was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the King Edward VII class. She was named after Britannia, the Latin name of Great Britain under Roman rule.-Technical characteristics:...

. The Britannia was on a voyage to Gibraltar when she was torpedoed off Cape Trafalgar

Cape Trafalgar

Cape Trafalgar is a headland in the Province of Cádiz in the south-west of Spain. It lies on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the Strait of Gibraltar...

. After the initial explosion, the ship began listing ten degrees to port. A few minutes later, another explosion started a fire in a 9.2-inch (234-mm) magazine

Magazine (artillery)

Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...

, which resulted in a cordite

Cordite

Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...

 explosion in the magazine. The Britannia stayed at 10-degrees for 2½ hours before sinking. Its 16,350 gross register tons made it the largest ship the U-boat ever sank, and the only one UB-50 would sink during her last patrol.