SM UB-78 facts for kids

UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-78.
Quick facts for kids History
German Empire
Name	UB-78
Ordered	23 September 1916
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Cost	3,338,000 German Papiermark
Yard number	307
Launched	2 June 1917
Commissioned	20 October 1917
Fate	Mined off Dover in position 51°01′N 01°17′E / 51.017°N 1.283°E / 51.017; 1.283 on 19 April 1918 all 35 crew lost.
General characteristics
Class and type	German Type UB III submarine
Displacement	516 t (508 long tons) surfaced 648 t (638 long tons) submerged
Length	55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.80 m (19 ft)
Draught	3.68 m (12 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × propeller shaft 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, 1,085 bhp (809 kW) 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, 780 shp (580 kW)
Speed	13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) surfaced 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) submerged
Range	8,680 nmi (16,080 km; 9,990 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (160 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 31 men
Armament	5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 10 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	V Flotilla 2 January – 18 February 1918 Flanders Flotilla 18 February – 19 April 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Woldemar Petri 20 October 1917 – 15 February 1918 Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker 16 February – 17 March 1918 Oblt.z.S. Arthur Stoßberg 18 March – 19 April 1918
Operations:	5 patrols
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (1,241 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (7,040 GRT)

SM UB-78 was a German U-boat, which is a type of submarine, used by the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The "SM" in its name stands for "Seiner Majestät," meaning "His Majesty's" in German. This U-boat was officially added to the German Imperial Navy on October 20, 1917. Sadly, UB-78 was lost when it hit a mine near Dover on April 19, 1918. All 35 crew members on board were lost.

Building a U-boat: The UB-78 Story

UB-78 was part of the German Type UB III submarine class. These submarines were built to be strong and effective in battle.

Who Built UB-78?

The famous shipbuilding company Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany, built UB-78. Construction took almost a year. The submarine was launched into the water on June 2, 1917.

Key Features of UB-78

UB-78 was designed with impressive features for its time.

• It could carry 10 torpedoes, which are underwater missiles.
• It also had a large deck gun on its top.
• The U-boat needed a crew of up to 3 officers and 31 sailors to operate it.
• When on the surface, UB-78 weighed about 516 tons. When it went underwater, it weighed 648 tons.
• Its engines allowed it to travel at about 13.6 knots (25 kilometers per hour) on the surface and 7.8 knots (14 kilometers per hour) when submerged.
• It could travel a long distance, up to 8,680 nautical miles (16,075 kilometers) when surfaced.

UB-78's Missions and Commanders

UB-78 was an active submarine during World War I. It completed five patrols during its service.

Who Commanded UB-78?

UB-78 had three different commanders during its time in service:

• Kptlt. Woldemar Petri commanded from October 20, 1917, to February 15, 1918.
• Oblt.z.S. Ulrich Pilzecker took over from February 16 to March 17, 1918.
• Oblt.z.S. Arthur Stoßberg was the last commander, from March 18 until the submarine was lost on April 19, 1918.

What Did UB-78 Achieve?

During its patrols, UB-78 attacked several ships. It managed to sink two merchant ships and damage two others.

Ships Affected by UB-78

Here is a list of the ships UB-78 encountered:

Date	Ship Name	Country	Size (Tons)	Outcome
March 21, 1918	Strathearn	United Kingdom	152	Damaged
March 22, 1918	Polleon	United Kingdom	1,155	Sunk
March 25, 1918	HMD Border Lads	Royal Navy	86	Sunk
March 26, 1918	British Star	United Kingdom	6,888	Damaged