SM UC-61


SM UC-61 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 3 April 1916, and was launched on 11 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 13 December 1916 as SM UC-61. In five patrols UC-61 was credited with sinking 11 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-61 was stranded north of Boulogne on 26 July 1917. The U-boat's crew flooded and scuttled their ship before surrendering to French authorities. The wreckage silted up but in some years becomes visible at low tide offshore in Wissant. As of 24 January 2019, the submarine had been partially visible since December 2018, and some locals were hopeful that due to shifting winds and tides, the submarine would be visible more often.

Design

A German Type UC II submarine, UC-61 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-61 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