List of the largest ships hit by U-boats in World War I
During the First World War, U-boats of the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) and the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine or K.u.K. Kriegsmarine) sank over 6,000 Allied and neutral ships totaling over 14,200,000 tons.[1] Many additional ships that are not included in those totals were damaged, but were able to return to service after repairs. This list contains the approximately 100 ships over 10,000 tons that were either damaged or sunk by U-boats by torpedoes, submarine-laid mines, gunfire, or other means.[Note 1]
List
Ships listed are presented in descending order on the tonnage figure. Those that were damaged are indicated with an asterisk after their names. Three ships—Justicia, Celtic, and Southland—appear on the list twice. Justicia was damaged by UB-64 on 19 July 1918 and sunk while under tow the following day by UB-124.[2] Celtic was damaged by U-80 and UB-77 in separate incidents in February 1917 and March 1918, respectively.[3] Southland was seriously damaged by UB-14 in September 1915 and sunk by SM U-70 in June 1917.[4] All U-boats listed are German unless otherwise noted in the table.
Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Otto Weddigen in U-9 sank three Royal Navy cruisers that appear on the list—Aboukir, Hogue, and Cressy—in a little more than an hour during the action of 22 September 1914.[5] The first three victims of UB-14's career—the Amalfi, the British troopship Royal Edward, and the troopship Southland (which was seriously damaged) in July, August, and September 1915, respectively—are all on the list.[6]
Four U-boat commanders appear four or more times on the list. Kptlt. Hans Rose in U-53 sank two ships and damaged two others between June 1917 and April 1918,[7] while Kptlt. Otto Steinbrinck in UC-65 did the same between March and July 1917.[7] Between October 1916 and October 1918, Kptlt. Wolfgang Steinbauer sank three ships on the list in UB-47 and damaged a fourth in UB-48.[7] Kptlt. Gustav Sieß—responsible for sinking the largest ship on the list, the hospital ship Britannic struck a mine and sunk (the younger sister ship of Titanic and Olympic)—topped the list with five entries, four (including Britannic) sunk in U-73 and a fifth sunk in U-33, all between April 1916 and April 1917.[7] Other notable commanders that appear on the list are Kptlt. Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (three times) who sank the most tonnage of any submarine commander ever,[8] and Linienschiffsleutnant Georg Ritter von Trapp of the Austro-Hungarian Navy (two times), known as the patriarch of the family made famous in The Sound of Music and its subsequent film adaptation.[9]
| Ship | Type | Nationality | [Note 1] Tons | Date | U-boat | Commander | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMHS Britannic | Hospital ship |  Royal Navy | 48,758 | 21 November 1916 | U-73 | Gustav Sieß | Sunk by Mine |
| Justicia[a] | Troop ship |  United Kingdom | 32,234 | 19 July 1918 | UB-64 | Otto von Schrader | Damaged, taken under tow |
| Justicia | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 32,234 | 20 July 1918 | UB-124 | Hans Oskar Wutsdorff | Sunk while under tow from 1st attack |
| Lusitania | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 30,396 | 7 May 1915 | U-20 | Walther Schwieger | Sunk with great loss of life |
| Jean Bart[a] | Battleship |  French Navy | 22,189 | 21 December 1914 | U-12 (Austria-Hungary) | Egon Lerch | Returned to port under own power |
| Celtic[a] | Troop ship/Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 20,904 | 15 February 1917 | U-80 | Alfred von Glasenapp | Struck mine, returned to port under tow |
| Celtic[a] | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 20,904 | 31 March 1918 | UB-77 | Wilhelm Meyer | Torpedoed, returned to port under tow |
| Merion | Decoy | United Kingdom | 19,380 | 29 May 1915 | UB-8 | Ernst von Voigt | Decoy disguised as HMS Tiger, sunk |
| Lapland[a] | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 18,565 | 7 April 1917 | UC-65 | Otto Steinbrinck | Struck mine, returned to port |
| Franconia | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 18,510 | 4 October 1916 | UB-47 | Wolfgang Steinbauer | Torpedoed while empty |
| Voltaire[a] | Battleship | French Navy | 18,400 | 18 October 1918 | UB-48 | Wolfgang Steinbauer | Lightly damaged by 2 torpedoes |
| USS Mount Vernon[a] | Troop ship |  United States Navy | 18,372 | 5 September 1918 | U-82 | Heinrich Middendorf | Heavy damage, returned to port under own power |
| Danton | Battleship | French Navy | 18,300 | 19 March 1917 | U-64 | Robert Moraht | Torpedoed and sunk |
| USS President Lincoln | Troop ship | United States Navy | 18,168 | 31 May 1918 | U-90 | Walter Remy | Torpedoed and sunk, most lives saved |
| Laconia | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 18,099 | 25 February 1917 | U-50 | Gerhard Berger | |
| USS Minnesota[a] | Battleship | United States Navy | 18,000 | 29 September 1918 | U-117 | Otto Dröscher | |
| HMS Britannia | Battleship | Royal Navy | 16,350 | 9 November 1918 | UB-50 | Heinrich Kukat | |
| USS Covington | Troop ship | United States Navy | 16,339 | 1 July 1918 | U-86 | Helmut Brümmer-Patzig | |
| Arabic | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 15,801 | 19 August 1915 | U-24 | Rudolf Schneider | |
| Rurik[a] | Cruiser |  Imperial Russian Navy | 15,544 | 19 November 1916 | UC-27 | Karl Vesper | |
| HMS Formidable | Battleship | Royal Navy | 15,000 | 1 January 1915 | U-24 | Rudolf Schneider | |
| Gallia | Troop ship |  France | 14,966 | 4 October 1916 | U-35 | Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière | |
| HMS Majestic | Battleship | Royal Navy | 14,900 | 27 May 1915 | U-21 | Otto Hersing | |
| Laurentic | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 14,892 | 25 January 1917 | U-80 | Alfred von Glasenapp | |
| Transylvania | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 14,348 | 4 May 1917 | U-63 | Otto Schultze | |
| Tuscania | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 14,348 | 5 February 1918 | UB-77 | Wilhelm Meyer | |
| Minnewaska | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 14,317 | 29 November 1916 | UC-23 | Johannes Kirchner | |
| HMS Drake | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 14,300 | 2 October 1917 | U-79 | Otto Rohrbeck | |
| Ivernia | Troop ship | Royal Navy | 14,278 | 1 January 1917 | UB-47 | Wolfgang Steinbauer | |
| HMS King Alfred[a] | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 14,150 | 11 April 1918 | UB-86 | Hans Trenk | |
| HMS Russell | Battleship | Royal Navy | 14,000 | 27 April 1916 | U-73 | Gustav Sieß | |
| HMS Cornwallis | Battleship | Royal Navy | 14,000 | 9 January 1917 | U-32 | Kurt Hartwig | |
| Aurania | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 13,936 | 4 February 1918 | UB-67 | Gerhard Schulz | |
| Tubantia | Passenger ship |  Netherlands | 13,911 | 16 March 1916 | UB-13 | Arthur Metz | |
| La Provence | Troop ship | France | 13,753 | 26 February 1916 | U-35 | Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière | |
| Minnehaha | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 13,714 | 7 September 1917 | U-48 | Karl Edeling | |
| USS San Diego | Cruiser | United States Navy | 13,680 | 19 July 1918 | U-156 | Richard Feldt | |
| Carpathia | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 13,603 | 17 July 1918 | U-55 | Wilhelm Werner | Torpedoed |
| Minneapolis | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 13,543 | 23 March 1916 | U-35 | Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière | |
| Minnetonka | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 13,528 | 30 January 1918 | U-64 | Robert Moraht | |
| Peresvet | Battleship | Imperial Russian Navy | 13,500 | 2 January 1917 | U-73 | Gustav Sieß | |
| Avenger | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 13,441 | 14 June 1917 | U-69 | Ernst Wilhelms | |
| Regina Margherita | Battleship |  Regia Marina | 13,427 | 12 December 1916 | UC-14 | Franz Becker | |
| Alaunia | Troop ship/Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 13,405 | 19 October 1916 | UC-16 | Egon von Werner | |
| Andania | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 13,405 | 27 January 1918 | U-46 | Leo Hillebrand | |
| Cymric | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 13,370 | 8 May 1916 | U-20 | Walther Schwieger | |
| Orama | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 12,927 | 19 October 1917 | U-62 | Ernst Hashagen | |
| Suffren | Battleship | French Navy | 12,750 | 25 November 1916 | U-52 | Hans Walther | |
| Athos | Troop ship/Passenger ship | France | 12,644 | 17 February 1917 | U-65 | Hermann von Fischel | |
| Rijndam (ID-2505)[a] | Troop ship | Netherlands | 12,527 | 18 January 1916 | UC-1 | Egon von Werner | |
| Calgarian (1913) | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 12,515 | 1 March 1918 | U-19 | Johannes Spieß | |
| Missanabie | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 12,469 | 9 September 1918 | UB-87 | Karl Petri | |
| Maloja | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 12,431 | 27 February 1916 | UC-6 | Matthias Graf von Schmettow | |
| Léon Gambetta | Cruiser | French Navy | 12,416 | 27 April 1915 | U-5 (Austria-Hungary) | Georg Ritter von Trapp | |
| Medina | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 12,350 | 28 April 1917 | UB-31 | Thomas Bieber | |
| Finland[a] | Troop ship | United States Army | 12,222 | 28 October 1917 | U-93 | Helmut Gerlach | |
| Argyllshire[a] | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 12,097 | 5 February 1917 | UC-46 | Friedrich Moecke | |
| Otway | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 12,077 | 23 July 1917 | UC-49 | Karl Petri | |
| Persic[a] | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 12,045 | 7 September 1918 | UB-87 | Karl Petri | |
| Orsova[a] | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 12,036 | 14 March 1917 | UC-68 | Hans Degetau | |
| Burdigala | Auxillary cruiser | France | 12,009 | 14 November 1916 | U-73 | Gustav Sieß | |
| Asturias[a] | Hospital ship | United Kingdom | 12,002 | 20 March 1917 | UC-66 | Herbert Pustkuchen | |
| HMS Aboukir | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 12,000 | 22 September 1914 | U-9 | Otto Weddigen | |
| HMS Cressy | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 12,000 | 22 September 1914 | U-9 | Otto Weddigen | |
| HMS Hogue | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 12,000 | 22 September 1914 | U-9 | Otto Weddigen | |
| Afric | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 11,999 | 12 February 1917 | UC-66 | Herbert Pustkuchen | |
| HMS Triumph | Battleship | Royal Navy | 11,985 | 25 May 1915 | U-21 | Otto Hersing | |
| HMT Southland[a] | Troop ship | Royal Navy | 11,899 | 2 September 1915 | UB-14 | Heino von Heimburg | |
| HMT Southland | Passenger ship | Royal Navy | 11,899 | 4 June 1917 | U-70 | Otto Wünsche | |
| Haverford[a] | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 11,635 | 26 June 1917 | U-94 | Alfred Saalwächter | |
| Volturno | Cargo ship | Kingdom of Italy | 11,495 | 26 March 1918 | UB-50 | Franz Becker | |
| Demerara[a] | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 11,484 | 1 July 1917 | U-84 | Walter Roehr | |
| Drina | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 11,483 | 1 March 1917 | UC-65 | Otto Steinbrinck | |
| Milazzo | Cargo ship | Kingdom of Italy | 11,477 | 29 August 1917 | U-14 (Austria-Hungary) | Georg Ritter von Trapp | |
| HMHS Llandovery Castle | Hospital ship | Royal Navy | 11,423 | 27 June 1918 | U-86 | Helmut Brümmer-Patzig | |
| Rotorua | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 11,140 | 22 March 1917 | UC-17 | Ralph Wenninger | |
| HMAS Berrima[a] | Troop ship |  Australia | 11,137 | 18 February 1917 | U-84 | Walter Roehr | |
| Ballarat | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 11,120 | 25 April 1917 | UB-32 | Max Viebeg | |
| HMT Royal Edward | Troop ship |  Royal Canadian Navy | 11,117 | 13 August 1915 | UB-14 | Heino von Heimburg | |
| Cadillac[a] | United Kingdom | 11,106 | 7 April 1918 | U-53 | Hans Rose | ||
| Gaulois | Battleship | French Navy | 11,100 | 27 December 1916 | UB-47 | Wolfgang Steinbauer | |
| HMS Ariadne | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 11,000 | 26 July 1917 | UC-65 | Otto Steinbrinck | |
| Cameronia | Troop ship | United Kingdom | 10,963 | 15 April 1917 | U-33 | Gustav Sieß | |
| Yasaka Maru |  Japan | 10,932 | 21 December 1915 | U-38 | Max Valentiner | ||
| Hesperian | Passenger ship | United Kingdom | 10,920 | 4 September 1915 | U-20 | Walther Schwieger | |
| HMS Roxburgh[a] | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 10,850 | 20 June 1915 | U-38 | Max Valentiner | |
| HMS Hampshire | Cruiser | Royal Navy | 10,850 | 5 June 1916 | U-75 | Curt Beitzen | |
| New York[a] | Troop ship | United States | 10,798 | 9 April 1917 | UC-65 | Otto Steinbrinck | |
| Virginian[a] | Armed merchant cruiser | United Kingdom | 10,757 | 21 August 1917 | U-102 | Ernst Killmann | |
| Hurunui | United Kingdom | 10,644 | 18 May 1918 | U-94 | Martin Schwab | ||
| Marmora | United Kingdom | 10,509 | 23 July 1918 | UB-64 | Otto von Schrader | ||
| Devonian | United Kingdom | 10,435 | 21 August 1917 | U-53 | Hans Rose | ||
| Winifredian[a] | Passenger-cargo ship | United Kingdom | 10,422 | 17 April 1917 | UC-76 | Wilhelm Barten | |
| Ultonia | Passenger-cargo ship | United Kingdom | 10,402 | 27 June 1917 | U-53 | Hans Rose | |
| Rowanmore | United Kingdom | 10,320 | 26 October 1916 | U-57 | Carl-Siegfried Ritter von Georg | ||
| O. B. Jennings | United States | 10,289 | 4 August 1918 | U-140 | Waldemar Kophamel | ||
| San Melito[a] | United Kingdom | 10,160 | 21 August 1915 | U-38 | Max Valentiner | ||
| San Hilario | United Kingdom | 10,157 | 20 April 1917 | U-43 | Hellmuth Jürst | ||
| Amalfi | Cruiser | Regia Marina | 10,118 | 7 July 1915 | UB-14 | Heino von Heimburg | |
| San Nazario[a] | United Kingdom | 10,064 | 15 October 1917 | U-53 | Hans Rose | ||
| Raranga[a] | United Kingdom | 10,040 | 26 June 1918 | UC-71 | Walter Warzecha | ||
| Amazon | Cargo ship | United Kingdom | 10,037 | 15 March 1918 | U-110 | Karl Kroll |
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab damaged but not sunk
Notes
- ^ a b Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement
References
- ^ Gibson and Prendergast, pp. 380, 382.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Justicia". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Celtic". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Southland". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ Gibson and Prendergast, pp. 7–9.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB 14". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Largest Ships sunk or damaged". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ Tarrant, p. 146.
- ^ Gearin, Joan. "The Real Story of the von Trapp Family". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Bibliography
- Gibson, R. H.; Maurice Prendergast (2003) [1931]. The German Submarine War, 1914–1918. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781591143147. OCLC 52924732.
- Tarrant, V.E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.
