SM U-108
Encyclopedia
SM U-108 was one of 329 submarine
s serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine
) in World War I
. U-108 was engaged in commerce warfare
in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1917, she survived the war, being surrendered in 1918 and becoming the French submarine Léon Mignot.
) Martin Nitzsche. She trained her crew at the Kiel
school between 24 January and 26 March 1918, and was attached to Fourth Flotilla
; all her operational activities took place in 1918. She was first detected by Room 40
(which followed and recorded all her subsequent movements) in the North Sea, on 14 April.
On 21 April, she departed on her first war patrol, to the English Channel
, which lasted until the patrol was terminated 6 May due to a serious oil leak, as well as other damage. the product of depth charge
attack by the U.S. A/S
destroyer
, Porter
on 28 April.
Following refit, her second patrol commenced 6 July, when she departed for the southwest coast of Ireland and the Western Approaches
. She sank one steamer (not identified by Room 40) on 15 July, and may have made an unsuccessful attack on a convoy two days later. On 30 July, U-60
warned her of a possible enemy submarine in the Skagerrak
. She returned home successfully 1 August.
U-108s third patrol began 8 October, but was cut short 15 October due to reported defects. (These would have been in a message intercepted and decrypt
ed by Room 40.) After repairs, she sortied again 19 October into the North Sea. In her patrol area, she reported depth charge attacks by airships and aircraft, as well as contact with enemy submarines. She was detailed to an advanced station on 28 October to await an attack on enemy battleship
s, which Room 40 believed was in connection with a sortie by the High Seas Fleet
(whose actions Room 40 was also monitoring). Nothing materialized, and she returned to port with her W/T
(wireless telegraph) out of commission.
U-108 surrendered 20 November 1918 at Harwich
.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
) in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. U-108 was engaged in commerce warfare
Naval warfare of World War I
Naval warfare in World War I was mainly characterized by the efforts of the Allied Powers, with their larger fleets and surrounding position, to blockade the Central Powers by sea, and the efforts of the Central Powers to break that blockade or to establish an effective blockade of the United...
in the First Battle of the Atlantic. Launched in 1917, she survived the war, being surrendered in 1918 and becoming the French submarine Léon Mignot.
History
U-108 came off the stocks of the Weser yard in Bremen in late 1917 or early 1918, and was commanded by Kapitänleutnant (LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
) Martin Nitzsche. She trained her crew at the Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
school between 24 January and 26 March 1918, and was attached to Fourth Flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
; all her operational activities took place in 1918. She was first detected by Room 40
Room 40
In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
(which followed and recorded all her subsequent movements) in the North Sea, on 14 April.
On 21 April, she departed on her first war patrol, to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, which lasted until the patrol was terminated 6 May due to a serious oil leak, as well as other damage. the product of depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attack by the U.S. A/S
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, Porter
USS Porter (DD-59)
USS Porter was a built for the United States Navy prior to the American entry into World War I. The ship was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of both David Porter and his son David Dixon Porter....
on 28 April.
Following refit, her second patrol commenced 6 July, when she departed for the southwest coast of Ireland and the Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
. She sank one steamer (not identified by Room 40) on 15 July, and may have made an unsuccessful attack on a convoy two days later. On 30 July, U-60
SM U-60
|SM U-60 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.U-60 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic....
warned her of a possible enemy submarine in the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
. She returned home successfully 1 August.
U-108s third patrol began 8 October, but was cut short 15 October due to reported defects. (These would have been in a message intercepted and decrypt
Cryptanalysis
Cryptanalysis is the study of methods for obtaining the meaning of encrypted information, without access to the secret information that is normally required to do so. Typically, this involves knowing how the system works and finding a secret key...
ed by Room 40.) After repairs, she sortied again 19 October into the North Sea. In her patrol area, she reported depth charge attacks by airships and aircraft, as well as contact with enemy submarines. She was detailed to an advanced station on 28 October to await an attack on enemy battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, which Room 40 believed was in connection with a sortie by the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
(whose actions Room 40 was also monitoring). Nothing materialized, and she returned to port with her W/T
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
(wireless telegraph) out of commission.
U-108 surrendered 20 November 1918 at Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
.
External links
- Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918.
- A 44 min. German film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
- Uboat.net: More detailed information about U-92.
- Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40Room 40In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.