SM UC-56


SM UC-56 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916, laid down on 4 March 1916, and was launched on 26 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 December 1916 as SM UC-56. In 6 patrols UC-56 was credited with sinking 1 ship by torpedo: the British hospital ship. UC-56 suffered from mechanical breakdowns that prevented her from submerging. She put in at Santander, Spain, on 24 May 1918 and was interned there for the duration of the war.

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-56 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of, a beam of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing , two electric motors producing, and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of. When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. UC-56 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes, seven torpedoes, and one Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.

Summary of raiding history

Citations