SM U-51
Encyclopedia
SM U-51 was a Type U 51 submarine
, one of 329 submarines in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine
) in World War I
. She engaged in commerce warfare
during the First Battle of the Atlantic.
She was ordered from Germaniawerft, at Kiel
, on 23 August 1914 and laid down there on 19 December. She was launched on 25 November 1915 and commissioned on 24 February 1916. Kapitänleutnant Walter Rumpel was her captain for her entire career.
. British Naval Intelligence
(better known as Room 40): monitored and recorded her activities. She was attached to the 2nd Half Flotilla and carried out a patrol in the North Sea
between 2 May and 6 May 1916, traveling to Hantsholm in company with , escorted by two Zeppelin
s. She was again in the North Sea between 16 May and 3 June 1916, during the Battle of Jutland
. She fired two torpedoes at the battleship
, but missed her.
On 14 July the British submarine HMS H5
spotted U-51 leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four survivors were rescued.
The wreck of U 51 was raised and broken up in 1968.
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...
, one of 329 submarines 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...
. She 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...
during the First Battle of the Atlantic.
She was ordered from Germaniawerft, at 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...
, on 23 August 1914 and laid down there on 19 December. She was launched on 25 November 1915 and commissioned on 24 February 1916. Kapitänleutnant Walter Rumpel was her captain for her entire career.
Operations
Completed at Kiel about March 1916, she carried out trials at Kiel School until the end of April when she proceeded to HeligolandHeligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
. British Naval Intelligence
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...
(better known as Room 40): monitored and recorded her activities. She was attached to the 2nd Half Flotilla and carried out a patrol in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
between 2 May and 6 May 1916, traveling to Hantsholm in company with , escorted by two Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s. She was again in the North Sea between 16 May and 3 June 1916, during the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. She fired two torpedoes at the 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...
, but missed her.
On 14 July the British submarine HMS H5
HMS H5
HMS H5, was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen, mistaken for a German U-boat, on 2 March 1918. All on board perished....
spotted U-51 leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four survivors were rescued.
The wreck of U 51 was raised and broken up in 1968.