SMS UC5

SMS UC5 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I.

The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and was launched on 13 June 1915.

She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 19 June 1915 as SMS UC5.

UC5 served in World War I under the command of Herbert Pustkuchen (June - December 1915) and Ulrich Mohrbutter (December 1915 - April 1916).

UC5 had an impressive career, with 29 ships sunk for a total of 36,288 tons on 29 patrols.

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On August 21, 1915 UC5 became the first submarine minelayer to penetrate into the English Channel, laying 12 mines off Boulogne.

One of these mines sank the steamship William Dawson on the same day.

UC5 went on to lay 6 more mines off Boulogne and Folkestone on 7 September, one of which sank the cable layer Monarch.

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UC5 ran aground while on patrol 27 April 1916 at Coordinates: 51°59'N 1°38'E and was scuttled.

Her crew were captured by HMS Firedrake.

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UC5 was salvaged and put into a floating dock by teams led by Captain Young and Lt Paterson, a dangerous procedure because of two mines still on board.

Explosive charges were rigged to wreck UC5 in the event of abandoning, which the British press described as an attempt to kill the RN personnel who rescued his crew.

Paterson was able to find and disable them after being warned by one of the prisoners.

The U-Boat was towed first to Harwich, then on to Sheerness, where an approved party of journalists and even two war artists were taken to inspect it.

Later it was towed up and displayed to the London public at Temple Pier on the Thames river and, the following year, in New York for propaganda purposes.

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No one is sure about its exact fate, but it seems that it was scrapped after its propaganda tour.

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