SM U-9

SM "U-9" was a German Type U 9 U-boat built for the Kaiserliche Marine. Her construction was ordered on July 15 1908 and her keel was laid down by Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig. She was launched on February 22 1910 and commissioned on April 18 1910.

Career

On 16 July 1914 the crew of "U-9" reloaded her torpedo tubes while submerged, the first time any submarine had succeeded in doing so.

On 1 August 1914, Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen took command. On September 22, while patrolling the Broad Fourteens, a region of the southern North Sea, "U-9" found a squadron of three obsolescent British "Cressy"-class armoured cruisers, sardonically nicknamed the "Live Bait Squadron", which were assigned to prevent German surface vessels from entering the Eastern end of the English Channel. She fired all six of her torpedoes, reloading while submerged, and in less than an hour sank the three cruisers, HMS "Aboukir", HMS "Hogue", and HMS "Cressy". 1459 British sailors died. [cite web | url = http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/cressy.htm | title = Sinking of HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue by U-9 | work = World War 1 Naval Combat | accessdate = 2007-05-27] It was one of most notable submarine actions. Members of the Admiralty who had considered submarines to be mere toys no longer expressed that opinion after this event. On October 15 she sunk another armoured cruiser, HMS "Hawke".

On January 12 1915, Johannes Spiess relieved Weddigen, and commanded "U-9" until 19 April 1916. During this period, she sank 13 ships totalling 8.635 tons: 10 small fishing vessels and three British steamers ("Don", "Queen Wilhelmina" and "Serbino").

After April 1916, she was withdrawn from front-line duties and used for training.

References

ee also

* List of U-boats

External links

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