SM U-1 (Germany)

U 1 was the first German military submarine and was provided by the Imperial Navy into service on 14 December 1906. Today, U 1 is the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

Prehistory

After the successful test of the experimental submarine trout in 1902 the Imperial Navy Office was after much hesitation, the marine engineer Gustav Berling on April 4, 1904, a contract to build a submarine for sea warfare. Berling turned to the Germania shipyard in Kiel. Here, his design to the three previously exported to Russia submarines Karp class leaning against. Decisive based on the patents of the boat employed by Krupp Spanish engineer Raimondo Lorenzo d' Équevilley Mont Justin, who had previously worked for the leading French submarine designer Maxime Laubeuf ( Lauboef to see Narval (Q 4) ).

To meet the demands of the Imperial Naval Office to the new submarine, but some design changes had to be made, resulting in the construction of the boat was delayed. The head of the Imperial Naval Office, Alfred von Tirpitz, demanded a submarine with a displacement of 347 tons, a radius of 1,400 nautical miles ( 2593 km ) and speeds of 10.8 knots (20 km / h) above and 8.7 kn (16 km / h) under water.

Construction and commissioning

In April 1905, finally started construction. The most important news of the trout concerned - besides the size dimensions - mainly the pressure hull, the horizontal arrangement of the torpedo tubes as well as the drive. For U 1 is a so-called double-hulled boat. It provided space for ten -man crew, was able to stay under water and reach a depth of up to 30 m approximately twelve hours. In addition, they wanted security reasons rather than dangerous petrol engines, which until then had had a bad experience, two 147 kW ( 200 hp ) using strong petroleum engines, however, had at that time yet to be finished. For the underwater journey to put on as strong electric motors. Finally, the first German military submarine was on 14 December 1906 after several test rides, provided by the Imperial Navy as SM U 1 in service. Its first commander was Lieutenant von Boehm -Bezing.

Use and whereabouts

U 1 was used for testing purposes only and as a training boat. Home port was Eckernförde where the testing of all U- boats, a submarine investors, the so-called Isern - culvert bridge, was built. 1919 should be like all the other German U- boats destroyed or delivered. Oskar von Miller, the founder of the Deutsches Museum, could save the boat for the museum. The partially wrecked boat was transported to Munich in pieces by rail. There can be visited to this day as an exhibit at the Deutsches Museum.