SM U-93 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-93 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.
Design Type U 93 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 87 submarines. U-93 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two engines for use while surfaced, and two engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-93 was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four at the bow and two at the stern), twelve to sixteen torpedoes, and one SK L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).
Operational history
After February 1917 she was commanded by the late author of books (e.g. U boat 202. The war diary of a German submarine, 1919) and experienced submarine commander Edgar von Spiegel von und zu Peckelsheim
On 30 April 1917 about south of Ireland, in the Atlantic, U-93 attacked HMS Prize, a three-masted topsail schooner (one of the Q ships) commanded by Lieutenant William Edward Sanders (who received a Victoria Cross for the action). HMS Prize was damaged by shellfire. After the 'panic party' had taken to the boats and the ship appeared to be sinking, the U-boat approached to within of her port quarter, whereupon the White Ensign was hoisted and the Prize opened fire.
Within a few minutes the submarine was on fire and her bows rose in the air, whilst the Prize was further damaged. The U-boat disappeared from sight, and was believed to have been sunk by the crew of the Prize and by several of the German crew (including her captain) who had been blown or jumped into the sea.
Neither of the crippled ships had sunk, with the Prize being towed in flames back to Kinsale, while the U-93 struggled back to the Sylt nine days later after a dramatic escape effort through the British mine and destroyer barrages off Dover.
U 93 after repairs operated in the English channel. She was lost to unknown cause off Hardelot, France in January 1918. The wreck was located by divers in 2003.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate15 April 1917Fram105Sunk18 April 1917Troldfos1,459Sunk18 April 1917West Lothian1,887Sunk22 April 1917Vestelv1,729Sunk28 April 1917Diana207Damaged29 April 1917Comedian4,889Sunk29 April 1917Ikbal5,434Sunk30 April 1917Ascaro3,245Sunk30 April 1917Horsa2,949Sunk30 April 1917Parthenon2,934Sunk30 April 1917HMS Prize199Damaged19 June 1917Louise645Sunk27 June 1917Baron Ogilvy4,570Sunk4 July 1917Kodan308Sunk12 August 1917Bestum3,520Sunk14 August 1917Asti5,300Sunk20 August 1917Elswick Lodge3,558Sunk21 August 1917Volodia5,689Sunk23 August 1917Carl F. Cressy898Sunk25 August 1917Heatherside2,767Sunk25 August 1917Ovar1,650Sunk26 August 1917Marmion4,066Sunk26 August 1917Minas Queen492Sunk29 August 1917Treloske3,071Sunk18 October 1917Macao3,557Sunk27 October 1917D. N. Luckenbach2,929Sunk28 October 1917USAT Finland12,222Damaged29 October 1917La Epoca2,432Sunk30 October 1917Liff2,521Sunk2 January 1918Veda25Sunk4 January 1918Goeland I235Sunk6 January 1918Kanaris3,793Sunk6 January 1918Harry Luckenbach2,798Sunk6 January 1918Henri Lecour2,488Sunk6 January 1918Dagny1,220Sunk14 January 1918Babin Chevaye2,174Sunk15 January 1918War Song2,535Sunk
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