SM U-28 (Germany)

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File:Eerste Wereldoorlog, SFA002004958.jpg

SM U-28 sinking the SS Falaba

SM U-28Template:Efn was a Type U 27 U-boat that served in the First World War. It conducted 5 patrols, sinking 40 ships totalling 90,126 GRT.

Career

U-28 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 26 June 1914, with Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner (1882-1940) in command.<ref name=Forstner /> Commander von Forstner was relieved on 15 June 1916 by Otto Rohrbeck, who was in turn relieved on 5 August by Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart. On 15 January 1917, Georg Schmidt took command.

On 30 July 1915, U-28 sank the British steamer Iberian. According to Commander von Forstner's account of the incident, the wreckage remained under the water for about 25 seconds until an explosion sent some of the debris flying up. It is said that along with the debris, a creature described as a "gigantic aquatic animal" resembling a crocodile was seen, which quickly disappeared from sight.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref>

Sinking

U-28Template:'s final patrol began on 19 August 1917, when it departed from Emden for the Arctic Ocean. On 2 September, at 11:55 am, it encountered the armed English steamer Template:SS, Template:Convert north-by-northeast of North Cape, Norway. U-28 scored a torpedo hit, and closed in to finish the steamer with gunfire. The shells detonated Olive BranchTemplate:'s cargo of munitions, which it had been carrying from England to Arkhangelsk, Russia, and the subsequent explosion so badly damaged the nearby U-boat that it sank along with the steamer. All 39 of its crew were lost; some were seen swimming, but were not picked up by Olive BranchTemplate:'s lifeboats.<ref>Spindler, Arno (1932). Der Krieg zur See: Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. Mittler.</ref>

An alternative description of the event states that when the ammunition detonated, a truck carried as deck cargo was blown into the air and fell from a great height on the U-boat, sinking it.<ref>Gwatkin-Williams, R. S. (1922). Under the Black Ensign. Hutchinson & Co.</ref>

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	TonnageTemplate:Efn	Fate<ref>Template:Cite Uboat.net</ref>
17 March 1915	Leeuwarden	Template:Flag	990	Sunk
18 March 1915	Zaanstrom	Template:Flag	1,657	Captured as prize
18 March 1915	Batavier V	Template:Flag	1,569	Captured as prize
25 March 1915	Medea	Template:Flag	1,235	Sunk
27 March 1915	Template:SS	Template:Flag	2,114	Sunk
27 March 1915	South Point	Template:Flag	3,837	Sunk
27 March 1915	Vosges	Template:Flag	1,295	Sunk
28 March 1915	Template:SS	Template:Flag	4,806	Sunk
28 March 1915	City Of Cambridge	Template:Flag	3,788	Damaged
29 March 1915	Flaminian	Template:Flag	3,500	Sunk
29 March 1915	Theseus	Template:Flag	6,723	Damaged
30 March 1915	Crown of Castile	Template:Flag	4,505	Sunk
30 July 1915	Iberian	Template:Flag	5,223	Sunk
31 July 1915	Nugget	Template:Flag	405	Sunk
31 July 1915	Turquoise	Template:Flag	486	Sunk
1 August 1915	Benvorlich	Template:Flag	3,381	Sunk
1 August 1915	Clintonia	Template:Flag	3,830	Sunk
1 August 1915	Koophandel	Template:Flag	1,736	Sunk
1 August 1915	Ranza	Template:Flag	2,320	Sunk
2 August 1915	HMS Portia	Template:Navy	494	Sunk
3 August 1915	Costello	Template:Flag	1,591	Sunk
4 August 1915	Midland Queen	Template:Flag	1,993	Sunk
26 March 1916	Norne	Template:Flag	1,224	Sunk
28 March 1916	Rio Tiete	Template:Flag	3,042	Sunk
30 March 1916	Trewyn	Template:Flag	3,084	Sunk
30 March 1916	Saint Hubert	Template:Flag	232	Sunk
31 March 1916	Vigo	Template:Flagcountry	1,137	Sunk
1 April 1916	Bengairn	Template:Flag	2,127	Sunk
29 May 1917	Fridtjof Nansen	Template:Flag	2,190	Sunk
29 May 1917	Karna	Template:Flag	210	Sunk
29 May 1917	Kodan	Template:Flag	217	Sunk
3 June 1917	Merioneth	Template:Flag	3,004	Sunk
4 June 1917	Algol	Template:Flagcountry	2,088	Sunk
5 June 1917	Alaska	Template:Flag	90	Sunk
5 June 1917	Duen	Template:Flag	30	Sunk
5 June 1917	Sydkap	Template:Flag	40	Sunk
8 June 1917	Manchester Engineer	Template:Flag	4,465	Damaged
8 June 1917	Sverre II	Template:Flag	44	Sunk
10 June 1917	Marie Elsie	Template:Flag	2,615	Sunk
10 June 1917	Perla	Template:Flag	5,355	Sunk
28 August 1917	Hidalgo	Template:Flag	4,271	Sunk
28 August 1917	Whitecourt	Template:Flag	3,680	Sunk
28 August 1917	Marselieza	Template:Flagcountry	3,568	Sunk
1 September 1917	Dront	Template:Flagcountry	3,488	Sunk
2 September 1917	Olive Branch	Template:Flag	4,649	Sunk

See also

• SM UB-85

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Gutenberg
• Template:Librivox book