SM U-19 (Germany)
SM U-19 (first row, second from the right)
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| History | |
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 Germany
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| Name: | U-19 |
| Ordered: | 25 November 1910 |
| Builder: | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig |
| Cost: | 2,450,000 Goldmark |
| Yard number: | 13 |
| Laid down: | 20 October 1911 |
| Launched: | 10 October 1912 |
| Commissioned: | 6 July 1913 |
| Fate: | Surrendered 24 November 1918. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | German Type U 19 submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 64.15 m (210 ft 6 in) |
| Beam: | 6.10 m (20 ft 0 in) |
| Height: | 7.30 m (23 ft 11 in) |
| Draught: | 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
1 dingi |
| Complement: | 4 officers, 31 men |
| Armament: |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 12 patrols |
| Victories: |
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SM U-19 was a German Type U 19 U-boat built for the Imperial German Navy. Her construction was ordered on 25 November 1910, and her keel was laid down on 20 October 1911, at the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig. She was launched on 10 October 1912, and commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 6 July 1913.
From 1 August 1914, to 15 March 1916, U-19 was commanded by Constantin Kolbe. During this period she had the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first U-boat casualty of World War I when she was rammed by HMS Badger on 24 October 1914. Her hull was badly damaged, but she survived and was repaired.
On the 22nd of January 1915 the Durward was near the Maas lightship when they saw the U19 on the surface. They tried to escape, but as they could only manage 12 knots they were unable to do so. The mate of the Durward, who was later interviewed by the Daily Mail's special correspondent in Rotterdam related how the second officer, who spoke excellent English, had ordered them to lower a boat and come to talk to them. The captain and crew were given ten minutes to leave the ship. The mate asked the second officer whether he could return to the ship to collect his clothes. He replied 'Sorry, old man, it can't be done. I am in the mercantile marine myself, having been in the North German Lloyd service but now I am doing a bit for my country.' The commander of the U-boat towed the lifeboat to within 100 yards of the Maas lightship, even stopping at one stage to repair the tow when it parted,after which the crew of the Durward said goodbye to the submarine and rowed to the lightship.
Kolbe was relieved by Raimund Weisbach, who had previously served as torpedo officer on U-20 and had (on Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger's orders) launched the torpedo that sank RMS Lusitania. During his brief command, Weisbach carried out an unusual mission: he delivered the revolutionary Roger Casement and two other agents to Banna Strand in Ireland in hopes that they would foment an uprising that would distract the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from World War I.
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Wikipedia