For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-81.
| SM U-81 | |
|---|---|
| Career (German Empire) |  |
| Name: | U-81 |
| Ordered: | 23 June 1915 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | Werk 251 |
| Laid down: | 31 August 1915 |
| Launched: | 24 June 1916 |
| Commissioned: | 22 August 1916 |
| Fate: | 1 May 1917 - Torpedoed W of Ireland at 51°33′N 13°38′W / 51.55°N 13.633°WCoordinates: 51°33′N 13°38′W / 51.55°N 13.633°W by HM Sub E54. 24 dead, unknown number of survivors.[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | German Type U 81 submarine |
| Displacement: |
808 tons (surfaced) 946 tons (submerged) 1160 tons (total) |
| Length: |
70.06 m (overall) 55.55 m (pressure hull) |
| Beam: |
6.30 m (overall) 4.15 m (pressure hull) |
| Draught: | 4.02 m |
| Propulsion: |
2400 hp (surfaced) 1200 hp (submerged) |
| Speed: |
16.8 knots (surfaced) 9.1 knots (submerged) |
| Range: | 11,220 miles @ 8 knots (surfaced) 56 miles @ 5 knots(submerged) |
| Complement: | 39 men |
| Armament: |
12 torpedoes (4/2 in bow/stern tubes) 105mm deck gun with 140 rounds [2] |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: | Imperial German Navy |
| Commanders: |
Raimund Weisbach [1] 22 Aug 1916 - 1 May 1917 |
| Operations: |
4 patrols |
SM U-81 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I. U-81 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.[3]
U-81 had one 10.5 cm gun with 140-240 rounds.[1] On 8 February 1917 she torpedoed the SS Mantola 143 miles off Fastnet, forcing her crew to abandon her. She then shelled the drifting hulk until being chased away by the Acacia-class sloop HMS Laburnum.[4] Laburnam took the floating hulk under tow, but the line parted in the rough seas, and Mantola was left to sink, which she did on 9 February.[4][5]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Uboat.net U81
- ↑ Uboat.net type 81
- ↑ "U-81". http://www.uboat.net/wwi/boats/index.html?boat=81. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "SS Mantola 1916". clydesite.co.uk. http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=4289. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
- ↑ "SS Mantola WWI shipwreck reveals silver haul". BBC News Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15246156. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
The original article can be found at SM U-81 and the edit history here.