SM UB-116

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-116.

SM UB-116 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 24 May 1918 as SM UB-116.^{[Note 1]}

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-116.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-116
Ordered	6 / 8 February 1917[1]
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost	3,714,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	322
Launched	4 November 1917[2]
Commissioned	24 May 1918[2]
Fate	Sunk by remote-controlled mine 28 October 1918 at 58°50′N 3°4′W[2]
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	519 t (511 long tons) surfaced 649 t (639 long tons) submerged
Length	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN-Vulcan four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW) 2 × AEG electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range	7,420 nmi (13,740 km; 8,540 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 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:	Flandern I Flotilla 15 August – 4 October 1918 III Flotilla 4 – 28 October 1918
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Erich Stephan[3] 24 May – 4 October 1918 Oblt.z.S. Hans Joachim Emsmann[4] 5 – 28 October 1918
Operations:	4 patrols
Victories:	None

UB-116 was sunk by a remote-controlled mine at 58°50′N 3°4′W off Orkney while making an attempt to enter Scapa Flow in order to attack units of the British Grand Fleet as part of the final German Naval offensive of the war.^[2]

According to Uboat.net, UB-116 hit a mine and was next finished off by depth charges while trying to reach the empty Scapa anchorage. All hands were lost (36 sailors).^[5]

Construction

Main article: Type UB III submarine

She was built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 4 November 1917. UB-116 was commissioned in the spring the next year under the command of Oblt.z.S. Erich Stephan. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-116 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-116 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi). UB-116 had a displacement of 519 t (511 long tons) while surfaced and 649 t (639 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.3 knots (24.6 km/h; 15.3 mph) when surfaced and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) when submerged.