SM UC-73

History
German Empire
NameUC-73
Ordered12 January 1916
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number289
Launched26 August 1916
Commissioned24 December 1916
FateSurrendered, 6 January 1919; broken up, 1919 – 20
General characteristics
Class & typeType UC II submarine
Displacement
  • 427 t (420 long tons), surfaced
  • 508 t (500 long tons), submerged
Length
Beam
  • 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 3.65 m (12 ft) pressure hull
Draught3.64 m (11 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph), surfaced
  • 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph), submerged
Range
  • 10,420 nmi (19,300 km; 11,990 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced
  • 52 nmi (96 km; 60 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement26
Armament
Notes35-second diving time
Service record
Part of:
  • Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer I Flotilla
  • 6 June 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Kurt Schapler
  • 24 December 1916 – 26 November 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Walter Wiedemann
  • 27 November 1917 – 29 May 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Otto Gerke
  • 30 May – 14 July 1918
  • Oblt.z.S. Franz Hagen
  • 15 July – 2 December 1918
Operations: 10 patrols
Victories:
  • 16 merchant ships sunk
    (16,565 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (5,796 GRT)

SM UC-73 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 26 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 24 December 1916 as SM UC-73. In ten patrols UC-73 was credited with sinking 16 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-73 was surrendered on 6 January 1919 and broken up at Brighton Ferry in 1919 – 20.