SM U-106

Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine (1917)

Naval Warfare

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The German SM U-106 U-boat attack submarine only managed a short wartime career before falling victim to a naval mine near The Netherlands.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Much is made about the German U-Boat scourge of World War 2 but the fleet was no less dangerous in its cause during World War 1 (1914-1918) where they effectively harassed all manner of Allied shipping and ongoing military naval activity in contested waters. U-106 made up one of the 24 boats representing the Type U 93 class of German attack submarines. Ordered on May 5th, 1916, U-106 was constructed at the Werk 275 shipyard and launched on June 12th, 1917. She was formally commissioned on July 28th, 1917 and served only a few short months before meeting her end. Type U 93 boats were credited with sinking over 3% of all Allied shipping during World War 1 and were noted for their excellent ocean-going capabilities. The type was successful enough to influence some of the World War 2 German U-Boats still to come, such was their value.

As built, U-106 was given a length of 70.6 meters with a beam of 6.3 meters and draught of 4 meters. She displaced 800 tons surfaced and 950 tons submerged with power served through a diesel-electric arrangement outputting 2,400 horsepower on the surface and 1,200 horsepower submerged. Speeds totaled 17 knots surfaced and 9 knots submerged. The vessel was crewed by 39 sailors and officers and armament consisted of 16 torpedoes fired through four bow-facing tubes and two stern-facing tubes. Surface contacts were dealt with the 105mm deck gun, of which 220 projectiles were afforded, and an equally-potent 88mm deck gun.

U-106 began her first (and only) wartime patrol on September 2nd, 1917 and took part in the Atlantic campaign which eventually spanned from August 1914 into October 1918. While resulting in 8 million tons of Allied shipping lost, U-boat casualties numbered 178 boats and the campaign proved an Allied victory in the end of the war. During her tour, U-106 managed to sink the British Navy destroyer HMS Contest and damage the steamer City of Lincoln. However, she was lost to the sea after striking a naval mine near Terschelling (Netherlands) on October 7th, 1917, bringing an abrupt end to a rather short ocean-going career. Her wreckage sat where it lay until uncovered in 2009 by the Royal Netherlands Navy and it was then decided to leave the wreckage as is and to serve as an underwater memorial to the German sacrifice.

Six total Type 93 boats were lost in the war.

Specifications

Service Year

1917

Origin

Imperial Germany

Status

DECOMMISSIONED
Destroyed, Scrapped.

Complement

39
PERSONNEL

Class

Type U 93

Number-in-Class

24
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

U-93; U-94; U-95; U-96; U-97; U-98; U-105; U-106; U-107; U-108; U-109; U-110; U-111; U-112; U-113; U-114; U-160; U-161; U-162; U-163; U-164; U-165; U-166; U-167

German Empire

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Submerged Attack
Traveling under the surface to search, track, and / or engage or reconnoiter areas.

✓ Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.

✓ Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.

Length

231.5 ft
70.56 m

Beam

20.6 ft
6.28 m

Draught

13.1 ft
3.99 m

Displacement

800
tons

Disp.Submerged

950
tons

Installed Power: Diesel-Electric arrangement developing 2,400 horsepower surfaced and 1,200 horsepower submerged.

Surface Speed

17.0 kts
(19.6 mph)

Submerged Speed

9.0 kts
(10.4 mph)

Range

9,750 nm
(11,220 mi | 18,057 km)

4 x Bow-facing Torpedo Tubes with 2 x Stern-facing Torpedo Tubes (16 x Torpedoes).

1 x 105mm Deck Gun

1 x 88mm Deck Gun

Supported Types

Graphical image of a modern warship turreted deck gun armament

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

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