SM UB-77

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-77.

SM UB-77 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 2 October 1917 as SM UB-77.^{[Note 1]}

SM UB-77 in Wilhelmshaven
History
German Empire
Name	UB-77
Ordered	23 September 1916[1]
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost	3,338,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	306
Launched	5 May 1917[2]
Commissioned	2 October 1917[2]
Fate	Surrendered 16 January 1919.[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced 648 t (638 long tons) submerged
Length	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range	8,680 nmi (16,080 km; 9,990 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 31 men[2]
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	V Flotilla 30 November 1917 – 17 April 1918 I Flotilla 17 April – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Wilhelm Meyer[3] 2 October 1917 – 14 June 1918 Oblt.z.S. Franz Maurer[4] 15 June – 11 November 1918
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	1 merchant ship sunk (14,348 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (28,174 GRT)

UB-77 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany and broken up in Swansea in 1921.^[2]

Construction

Main article: Type UB III submarine

UB-77 was ordered by the GIN on 23 September 1916.

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 5 May 1917. UB-77 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Wilhelm Meyer. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-77 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-77 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,680 nautical miles (16,080 km; 9,990 mi). UB-77 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 648 t (638 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 2]	Fate[5]
5 February 1918	Tuscania	United Kingdom	14,348	Sunk
31 March 1918	Celtic	United Kingdom	20,904	Damaged
28 August 1918	Lompoc	United Kingdom	7,270	Damaged

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. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

1. Rössler 1979, p. 65.
2. Gröner 1991, pp. 25–30.
3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Wilhelm Meyer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Franz Maurer". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 77". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

Bibliography

• Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
• 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.
• Rössler, Eberhard (1979). Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften: eine Bilddokumentation über den deutschen U-Bootbau; in zwei Bänden (in German). Vol. I. Munich: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.