SM U-50[Note 1] was one of 329 submarines in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
Quick facts History, German Empire ...
|
| History |
|---|
 German Empire |
|---|
| Name | U-50 |
| Ordered | 4 August 1914 |
| Builder | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig |
| Yard number | 28 |
| Launched | 31 December 1915 |
| Commissioned | 4 July 1916 |
| Fate | Sunk probably by a mine off Terschelling on or after 31 August 1917 [1] |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Class & type | Type U-43 submarine |
| Displacement |
- 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
- 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
|
| Length | 65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam |
- 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
- 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
|
| Height | 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3.74 m (12 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power |
- 2 × 2,000 PS (1,471 kW; 1,973 shp) surfaced
- 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts |
| Speed |
- 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) surfaced
- 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) submerged
|
| Range |
- 11,400 nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
- 51 nmi (94 km; 59 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
|
| Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
| Complement | 36 |
| Armament | |
| Service record |
| Part of: |
- III Flotilla
- 4 July 1916 – 31 August 1917
|
| Commanders: |
- Kptlt. Gerhard Berger[4]
- 4 July 1916 - 31 August 1917
|
| Operations: |
5 patrols |
| Victories: |
27 merchant ships sunk
(92,924 GRT) |
Close
U-50 is most notable for sinking the Laconia, formerly an armed merchant cruiser which had returned to passenger service, killing two Americans before the United States had entered the war. Laconia was also the 15th largest ship destroyed by submarine in the war.[5]
