SM UC-79

SM UC-79 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I.

History

UC-79 was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 19 December 1916. She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 22 January 1917 as SM UC-79. In eleven patrols UC-79 was credited with sinking 10 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 28 April 1917, she captured the Danish coaster Laura in the Skagerrak.UC-79 was sunk by a mine off Cap Gris Nez, France in late March or early April 1918. Royal Navy divers located the wreck in that area in August 1918.

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-79 had a displacement of 410 tonnes (400 long tons) when at the surface and 493 tonnes (485 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.45 m (165 ft 6 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 290–300 metric horsepower (210–220 kW; 290–300 shp) (a total of 580–600 metric horsepower (430–440 kW; 570–590 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 30 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).