SM UC-14

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-14.

SM UC-14 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 23 November 1914, laid down on 28 January 1915, and was launched on 13 May 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 June 1915 as SM UC-14.^{[Note 1]} Mines laid by UC-14 in her 38 patrols were credited with sinking 16 ships, one of which was the Italian pre-dreadnought battleship Regina Margherita,^[10] which at 13,427 tonnes (13,215 long tons) displacement was one of the largest ships sunk by U-boats during the war.^[11] UC-14 was mined and sunk on 3 October 1917.^[1]

History
German Empire
Name	UC-14
Ordered	23 November 1914[1]
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen[2]
Yard number	229[1]
Laid down	28 January 1915[1]
Launched	13 May 1915[1]
Commissioned	5 June 1915[1]
Fate	Sunk by mine, 3 October 1917[1]
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	Type UC I submarine
Displacement	168 t (165 long tons), surfaced 182 t (179 long tons), submerged
Length	33.99 m (111 ft 6 in) o/a 29.62 m (97 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam	3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Draft	3.06 m (10 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	1 × propeller shaft 1 × 6-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine, 80 PS (59 kW; 79 bhp) 1 × electric motor, 175 PS (129 kW; 173 shp)
Speed	6.49 knots (12.02 km/h; 7.47 mph), surfaced 5.67 knots (10.50 km/h; 6.52 mph), submerged
Range	910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	14
Armament	6 × 100 cm (39 in) mine tubes 12 × UC 120 mines 1 × 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun
Service record
Part of:	Pola Flotilla 5 June 1915 – 9 October 1916 Flandern Flotilla 11 January 1917 – 3 October 1917
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Cäsar Bauer[4] 5 June 1915 - 6 January 1916 Oblt.z.S. Franz Becker[5] 7 January – 30 June 1916 Oblt.z.S. Alfred Klatt[6] 1 July – 9 October 1916 Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker[7] 11 January - 6 July 1917 Oblt.z.S. Helmut Lorenz[8] 7 July – 13 September 1917 Oblt.z.S. Adolf Feddersen[9] 14 September – 3 October 1917
Operations:	38 patrols
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk (6,478 GRT) 2 warships sunk (14,107 tons) 10 auxiliary warships sunk (1,704 GRT)

The submarine's wreck was finally located in September 2023^{[citation needed]}

Design

A Type UC I submarine, UC-14 had a displacement of 168 tonnes (165 long tons) when at the surface and 182 tonnes (179 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m (111 ft 6 in), a beam of 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in), and a draught of 3.06 m (10 ft 0 in). The submarine was powered by one Benz six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 80 metric horsepower (59 kW; 79 shp), an electric motor producing 175 metric horsepower (129 kW; 173 shp), and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.49 knots (12.02 km/h; 7.47 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 5.67 knots (10.50 km/h; 6.52 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 910 nautical miles (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). UC-14 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 millimetres (0.31 in) machine gun. She was built by AG Weser Bremen and her complement was fourteen crew members.^[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 2]	Fate[12]
4 December 1915	Intrepido	Regia Marina	680	Sunk
4 December 1915	Re Umberto	Kingdom of Italy	2,952	Sunk
8 January 1916	Citta Di Palermo	Regia Marina	3,415	Sunk
8 January 1916	HMD Freuchny	Royal Navy	84	Sunk
8 January 1916	HMD Morning Star	Royal Navy	97	Sunk
20 February 1916	HMD Gavenwood	Royal Navy	88	Sunk
20 March 1916	Ginette	French Navy	272	Sunk
26 November 1916	HMD Finross	Royal Navy	78	Sunk
26 November 1916	HMD Michaelmas Daisy	Royal Navy	99	Sunk
12 December 1916	Regina Margherita	Regia Marina	13,427	Sunk
30 March 1917	HMT Christopher	Royal Navy	316	Sunk
9 April 1917	HMT Orthos	Royal Navy	218	Sunk
23 May 1917	HMT Tettenhall	Royal Navy	227	Sunk
10 September 1917	HMT Loch Ard	Royal Navy	225	Sunk
2 October 1917	Willing Boys	United Kingdom	51	Sunk
7 October 1917	Reliance	United Kingdom	60	Sunk

References

Notes

1. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
2. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 14". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
2. Tarrant, p. 173.
3. Gröner 1991, pp. 30–31.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Cäsar Bauer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Becker (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Alfred Klatt". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Ulrich Pilzecker". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
8. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Helmut Lorenz". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
9. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Adolf Feddersen". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
10. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Regina Margherita". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
11. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Largest Ships sunk or damaged". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
12. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 14". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

Bibliography

• Bendert, Harald (2001). Die UC-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine 1914-1918. Minenkrieg mit U-Booten (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0758-7.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
• Tarrant, V. E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.

51°19′N 2°43′E