SM U-54

History

German Empire
Name:	U-54
Ordered:	23 August 1914
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down:	18 March 1915
Launched:	22 February 1916
Commissioned:	25 May 1916
Fate:	24 November 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at Taranto in May 1919.
General characteristics
Class and 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) deck guns
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy II Flotilla 2 July 1916 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Freiherr Volkhard von Bothmer 16 May 1916 – 19 May 1917 Kptlt. Kurt Heeseler 20 May 1917 – 22 March 1918 Oblt.z.S. Hellmuth von Ruckteschell 23 March – 11 November 1918
Operations:	12 patrols
Victories:	26 merchant ships sunk (66,691 GRT) 3 merchant ships damaged (15,362 GRT) 1 warship sunk (1,290 tons)

SM U-54 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-54 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.