# SM UC-63

SM UC-63 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916, laid down on 3 April 1916, and was launched on 6 January 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 30 January 1917 as SM UC-63. In nine patrols UC-63 was credited with sinking 36 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-63 was torpedoed and sunk by HMS E52 off Goodwin Sands on 1 November 1917; only one crewman survived the sinking.

## Design

A Type UC II submarine, UC-63 had a displacement of 422 tonnes (415 long tons) when at the surface and 504 tonnes (496 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 51.85 m (170 ft 1 in), a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.67 m (12 ft 0 in). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp)), two electric motors producing 620 metric horsepower (460 kW; 610 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.9 knots (22.0 km/h; 13.7 mph) and a submerged speed of 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 59 nautical miles (109 km; 68 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-63 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.

## Service career

UC-63 entered service on 30 January 1917, under the command of Oblt Karsten von Heydebreck. She was assigned to the Flanders U-boat Flotilla, based at Bruges in occupied Belgium.
UC-63 carried out nine war patrols, operating mainly in the North Sea against British fishing trawlers. She had considerable success, sinking seven and damaging two more in a single day in June 1917. In August 1917 she fought an action against two armed trawlers, HMS Nelson and HMS Boy Alfred. Both of these were sunk, and the crew of Ethel & Millie were picked up by the U-boat, after which they were not seen again. The suspicion then, and subsequently, is that they were disposed of by the U-boat commander, perhaps by being left to drown while the U-boat submerged. The German government had made it clear they regarded the crews of merchant ships who fought back against U-boat attacks as francs-tireurs, and thus liable to execution.
Before her loss in November 1917, UC-63 sank 36 ships, totalling 35,900 GRT, and damaged four more, in a nine month career.

## Fate

On 1 November 1917, while operating off the Goodwin Sands, UC-63 was sighted by British submarine HMS E52. She was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of all but one of her 27 crew.

## Summary of raiding history

| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
| 26 April 1917 | Amsteldjik | Netherlands | 186 | Sunk |
| 10 May 1917 | Gruno | Netherlands | 171 | Sunk |
| 27 June 1917 | Longbenton | United Kingdom | 924 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Frigate Bird | United Kingdom | 20 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Elsie | United Kingdom | 20 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Frances | United Kingdom | 20 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Glenelg | United Kingdom | 32 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Harbinger | United Kingdom | 39 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Rose of June | United Kingdom | 20 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | William And Betsy | United Kingdom | 21 | Sunk |
| 28 June 1917 | Frank | United Kingdom | 21 | Damaged |
| 28 June 1917 | Diligence | United Kingdom | 20 | Damaged |
| 30 June 1917 | Markersdal | Denmark | 1,640 | Sunk |
| 1 July 1917 | Advance | United Kingdom | 44 | Sunk |
| 1 July 1917 | Gleam | United Kingdom | 54 | Sunk |
| 1 July 1917 | Radiance | United Kingdom | 57 | Sunk |
| 31 July 1917 | Empress | United Kingdom | 2,914 | Sunk |
| 2 August 1917 | Young Bert | United Kingdom | 59 | Sunk |
| 6 August 1917 | Alfred | France | 107 | Sunk |
| 6 August 1917 | Fane | Norway | 1,119 | Sunk |
| 6 August 1917 | Zamora | United Kingdom | 3,639 | Damaged |
| 7 August 1917 | Onesta | Kingdom of Italy | 2,674 | Sunk |
| 8 August 1917 | Marie Jesus Protegez Nous | France | 46 | Sunk |
| 14 August 1917 | Thames | United Kingdom | 403 | Sunk |
| 14 August 1917 | Costanza | Kingdom of Italy | 2,545 | Sunk |
| 14 August 1917 | Luna | Norway | 959 | Damaged |
| 15 August 1917 | HMS Ethel And Millie (as HMS Boy Alfred) | Royal Navy | 58 | Sunk |
| 15 August 1917 | HMS G & E (as HMS Nelson) | Royal Navy | 61 | Sunk |
| 15 August 1917 | Alice | United Kingdom | 25 | Sunk |
| 22 September 1917 | Italia | France | 627 | Sunk |
| 24 September 1917 | Perseverance | France | 2,873 | Sunk |
| 24 September 1917 | Europe | France | 2,839 | Sunk |
| 25 September 1917 | Dinorah | France | 4,208 | Sunk |
| 25 September 1917 | HMT James Seckar | Royal Navy | 255 | Sunk |
| 24 October 1917 | Ulfsborg | Denmark | 2,040 | Sunk |
| 28 October 1917 | Baron Garioch | United Kingdom | 1,831 | Sunk |
| 29 October 1917 | Marne | France | 979 | Sunk |
| 4 November 1917 | Lyra | Norway | 1,141 | Sunk |
| 25 November 1917 | Oriflamme | United Kingdom | 3,764 | Sunk |
| 4 December 1917 | Brigitta | United Kingdom | 2,084 | Sunk |