Contents

SMUB-72

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-72.

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-72.
History
German Empire
Name	UB-72
Ordered	23 September 1916[2]
Builder	AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Cost	3,337,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	96
Launched	30 July 1917[1]
Commissioned	9 September 1917[1]
Fate	Sunk 12 May 1918 at 50°8′N 2°41′W / 50.133°N 2.683°W / 50.133; -2.683 by British submarine.[1]
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Type UB III submarine
Displacement	508 t (500 long tons) surfaced 639 t (629 long tons) submerged
Length	55.52 m (182 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.76 m (18 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.70 m (12 ft 2 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	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range	8,420 nmi (15,590 km; 9,690 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[1]
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	V Flotilla 28 October 1917 – 25 April 1918 II Flotilla 25 April – 12 May 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Walter Creutzfeld[3] 9 September 1917 – 1 March 1918 Oblt.z.S. Friedrich Traeger[4] 2 March – 12 May 1918
Operations:	5 patrols
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk (7,088 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (3,463 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (3,358 GRT)

SMUB-72 was a German Type UB III submarineorU-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 9 September 1917 as SM UB-72.^{[Note 1]}

UB-72 was serving in the English Channel when she was sunk by a torpedo from HMS D4at50°8′N 2°41′W / 50.133°N 2.683°W / 50.133; -2.683 on 12 May 1918.^[1]

Construction[edit]

She was built by AG VulcanofHamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 30 July 1917. UB-72 was commissioned later that same year . Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-72 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-72 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 8,420 nautical miles (15,590 km; 9,690 mi). UB-72 had a displacement of 508 t (500 long tons) while surfaced and 639 t (629 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) when surfaced and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) when submerged.

Summary of raiding history[edit]

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage[Note 2]	Fate[5]
3 February 1918	Svanfos	Norway	896	Sunk
28 March 1918	HMS Tithonus	Royal Navy	3,463	Sunk
30 March 1918	Vafos	Norway	1,322	Sunk
6 May 1918	Sandhurst	United Kingdom	3,034	Sunk
8 May 1918	Quito	United Kingdom	3,358	Damaged
9 May 1918	Baron Ailsa	United Kingdom	1,836	Sunk

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

Citations[edit]

Bibliography[edit]