SM U-56

	U-56 arriving in a spanish port
History
German Empire
Name	U-56
Ordered	23 August 1914
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	238
Laid down	28 December 1914
Launched	18 April 1916
Commissioned	23 June 1916
Fate	Missing since 3 November 1916. 35 dead (all hands lost)
General characteristics
Class & type	Type U 51 submarine
Displacement	715 t (704 long tons) surfaced; 902 t (888 long tons) submerged;
Length	65.20 m (213 ft 11 in) (o/a); 52.51 m (172 ft 3 in) (pressure hull);
Beam	6.44 m (21 ft 2 in) (oa); 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull);
Height	7.82 m (25 ft 8 in)
Draught	3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Installed power	2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced; 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged;
Propulsion	2 shafts
Speed	17.1 knots (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph) surfaced; 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged;
Range	9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced; 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged;
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement	36
Armament	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern); 7 torpedoes; 2 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns;
Service record
Part of:	II Flotilla; 18 June – 3 November 1916;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hermann Lorenz; 24 February – 3 November 1916;
Operations:	1 patrol
Victories:	5 merchant ships sunk ; (5,701 GRT)

SM U-56 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-56 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

On 2 November 1916, U-56 was attacked by gunfire from the Imperial Russian Navy destroyer Grozovoi off Khorne Island, Norway (near Vardø). U-56 survived this attack. U-56 dropped off the crew of the Norwegian merchant ship Ivanhoe ashore at 07:45 on 3 November 1916 at Lodsvik. The Norwegian sailors were aboard the ship during the action of the previous day and their description matches with the Russian account.