SM U-6 (Germany)

History

German Empire
Name	U-6
Ordered	8 April 1908
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	2,540,000 Goldmark
Yard number	148
Laid down	24 August 1908
Launched	18 May 1910
Commissioned	12 August 1910
Fate	15 September 1915 - Torpedoed by HMS E16 off Stavanger 59°10′N 5°9′E / 59.167°N 5.150°E / 59.167; 5.150. 24 dead and 4 survivors.
General characteristics
Class & type	German Type U 5 submarine
Displacement	505 t (497 long tons) surfaced 636 t (626 long tons) submerged
Length	57.30 m (188 ft) (o/a) 43.10 m (141 ft 5 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	5.60 m (18 ft 4 in) (o/a) 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in) (pressure hull)
Draught	3.55 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power	2 × Körting 6-cylinder and 2 × Körting 8-cylinder two stroke paraffin motors with 900 PS (660 kW; 890 shp) 2 × SSW electric motors with 1,040 PS (760 kW; 1,030 shp) 550 rpm surfaced 600 rpm submerged
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed	13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) surfaced 10.2 knots (18.9 km/h; 11.7 mph) submerged
Range	3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Test depth	30 m (98 ft)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 dingi
Complement	4 officers, 24 men
Armament	4 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) with 6 torpedoes 1 × 5 cm (2.0 in) SK L/40 gun 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss gun
Service record
Part of:	I. U-Halbflottille 1 August 1914 – 15 September 1915
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Wilhelm-Friedrich Starke 5 August – 28 September 1914 Oblt.z.S. Otto Steinbrinck 29 September – 4 November 1914 Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Lepsius 5 November 1914 – 5 January 1915 Oblt.z.S. Otto Steinbrinck 6 January 1915 – 21 January 1915 Oblt.z.S. Reinhold Lepsius 22 January – 15 September 1915
Operations:	4 patrols
Victories:	16 merchant ships sunk (9,614 GRT) 3 merchant ships taken as prize (2,337 GRT)

SM U-6 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-6 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Torpedoed by HMS E16 off Stavanger, Norway on 15 September 1915.