page_title: SM U-117
section_title: Sinking
hierarchical_section_title: SM U-117 / Service history / Sinking
caption_attribution_description: English: Submarine U-117, 21 June 1921, attacked by Navy planes.
context_page_description: SM U-117 was a Type UE II long-range minelayer submarine of the Imperial German Navy. She was laid down in 1917, at Hamburg, Germany, by Aktiengesellschaft Vulcan and launched on 10 December 1917. She was commissioned in the Imperial German Navy on 28 March 1918, with Kapitänleutnant Otto Dröscher in command. After shakedown, U-117 was posted to the U-Kreuzer Verband on 1 June 1918. Over the next five weeks, she completed fitting out at Kiel.
context_section_description: On 21 June 1921, three Navy Felixstowe F5L flying boats flying at an altitude of 1,200 ft (370 m) bombed and sank U-117 at anchor in smooth water 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) East of Cape Charles Light Vessel, with twelve 163 lb (74 kg) bombs, each loaded with 117 lb (53 kg) of TNT.
  The bombs were dropped in two salvos, one of three bombs and one of nine bombs. Both salvos straddled and fell close to the target, all within 150 ft (46 m) of it, all bombs functioned as designed. The submarine sank within seven minutes after the second salvo. The Board of Observers did not inspect her. The submarine was an easy target, being at anchor with no one on board.
caption: U-117 as a target ship
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