SM U-55

SM U-55 in Yokosuka
History
German Empire
Name:	U 55
Ordered:	23 August 1914
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down:	28 December 1914
Launched:	18 March 1916
Commissioned:	8 June 1916
Renamed:	O3 in 1920 Auxiliary Vessel No. 2538 in 1923
Fate:	Surrendered to Japan on 26 November 1918 Served with them as O3 between 1920 and 1921 Dismantled by June 1921 Briefly recommissioned in 1923 as Auxiliary Vessel No. 2538
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 29 July 1916 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Wilhelm Werner 9 June 1916 – 9 August 1918 Kptlt. Alexander Weiß 10 August – 14 September 1918 Oblt.z.S. Hans Friedrich 15 September – 11 November 1918
Operations:	14 patrols
Victories:	64 merchant ships sunk (133,742 GRT) 7 merchant ships damaged (26,161 GRT) 2 merchant ships taken as prizes (4,616 GRT)

SM U-55 was one of the six Type U 51 U-boats of the Imperial German Navy during the First World War, .

U 55 was ordered from Germaniawerft, Kiel on 23 August 1914, was laid down on 28 December 1914 and launched on 18 March 1916. She was commissioned under her first commander Wilhelm Werner on 8 June 1916.

Werner commanded her for most of her wartime career, during which she undertook 14 patrols with II Flotilla, sinking 64 ships for a total of 130,387 GRT. She also damaged another five for a total of 25,568 gross register tons (GRT), and took another two as prizes for a total of 4,616 GRT. Her most famous act was the sinking of the British passenger liner RMS Carpathia with three torpedoes, on 17 July 1918, off the east coast of Ireland. Carpathia herself had become famous for her actions in coming to the rescue of the sinking RMS Titanic in 1912. U-55 also sank the hospital ship HMHS Rewa on 4 January 1918.

Werner was replaced by Alexander Weiss on 10 August 1918, Weiss being succeeded by Hans Friedrich on 15 September and commanding U 55 until the armistice on 11 November.

U 55 was surrendered to Japan on 26 November 1918. She entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1920 as O3, serving as such until 1921. She was dismantled at the Sasebo Navy Yard between March and June 1921, briefly recommissioning in 1923 as Auxiliary Vessel No. 2538.

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