SM U 78
- Otto Dröscher
- Wilhelm Meyer
- Karl Thouret
- Karl Vesper
- John Vollbrecht
Peculiarity of the armament and engine
The main task of U 78 was the laying of sea mines, of which up to 38 pieces inside the boat could be transported. They were laid over two outlet pipes in the boat tail. It therefore was not a question one attack submarine and it was compared with other ocean-going submarines relatively weak motorized. Even the above-water velocity remained in the single digits. The torpedo armament was used only for self-defense.
Inserts
U 78 was launched on February 27, 1916 at the Vulkan yard in Hamburg from the stack and was put into service on April 20, 1916. The submarine was assigned in July 1916, the I. submarine flotilla. The Indienststellungs commander was Lieutenant Otto Dröscher ( April 20, 1916 to January 15, 1918), who scored all sinkings. After the submarine was in rapid succession by Wilhelm Meyer, Karl Thouret, Karl Vesper and last commanded by John Vollbrecht.
U 78 led during the First World War through 13 operations in the North Sea and around the British Isles. This 16 merchant ships of belligerent powers and neutral states with a total tonnage of 26,678 GRT and a warship was sunk with 810 GRT.
The biggest drop in by U 78 ship was the British freighter Kelvinia of Glasgow Steam Shipping Company. The 5,000 -ton ship was launched on September 2, 1916, a U of 78 specified in the Bristol Channel mine. All crew members survived the accident. The Kursk, a 7,800 GRT great Russian passenger ship of the Russian American Line, ran on 13 December 1916 in British waters on a mine of U 78, but was only damaged. On April 7, 1917, the British minesweeper Jason sank off the west coast of Scotland, also a mine of U 78 This 25 sailors were killed.
The Scandinavian cargo ships Vidar ( 2,200 GRT) and Atle Jarl ( 1,250 GRT) were seized on 16 July and 21 October 1916 as prizes.
Whereabouts
Together with three other submarines ran U 78 on 25 October 1918 by Helgoland at a patrol from. After joint escort the convoy through minefields in the early morning of October 27, 1918 resolved to the west of Denmark and the four submarines drove further separated.
That same night received the listening device of the British submarine G 2 conspicuous signals. The German U- boat was discovered and fired a torpedo, sank by the U 78. The sinking occurred approximately at the following location in the middle of the North Sea, 56 ° 2 ' N, 5 ° 8' O56.0333333333335.1333333333333. The commander of G 2 broke the search for survivors a short time later from fruitless. While he was still suspected another German U- boat near, he had to dive and left the Untergangsort. Of the 40 German U- boat drivers, no one was saved.
It was originally thought that the attack on U of G 2 78 took place only on 28 October 1918. British records show that the loss happened the day before. This coincides with German sources to the previous ship movements.