SM U-159

History
German Empire
Name:	U-159
Ordered:	February 1917
Builder:	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Launched:	25 May 1918
Fate:	Broken up in 1919
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:	German Type U 158 submarine
Displacement:	811 t (798 long tons) surfaced 1,034 t (1,018 long tons) submerged
Length:	71.15 m (233 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (o/a)
Height:	8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draught:	3.94 m (12 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	2 × 2,400 PS (1,765 kW; 2,367 shp) surfaced 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2 × 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) propellers
Speed:	16.0 knots (29.6 km/h; 18.4 mph) surfaced 9.0 knots (16.7 km/h; 10.4 mph) submerged
Range:	12,370 nmi (22,910 km; 14,240 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth:	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement:	4 officers, 32 enlisted
Armament:	6 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 12-16 torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun

SM U-159^{[Note 1]} was a Type U-158 submarine of the Imperial German Navy, built during the First World War.

SM U-159 was one of six 810-ton boats ordered in February 1917.^[2] She was one of two ships built to an improved design developed from the Type U-115 design, along with her sister, SM U-158.^[3] They were known as 'Project 25', and had a greatly increased radius of action. Both ships were built at Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, with U-159 being launched on 25 May 1918.^[3] The war ended before she could see active service, and she was broken up in 1919.^[3]

References

Notes

1. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

Citations

1. Gröner 1991, pp. 12-14.
2. Gibson & Prendergast. The German Submarine War. p. 143.
3. Gardiner & Budzbon. All the World's Fighting Ships. p. 180.

Bibliography

• Robert Gardiner & Przemysław Budzbon, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-1921. Conway. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Gibson, R. H.; Prendergast, Maurice (2002). The German Submarine War 1914-1918. Periscope Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-904381-08-1.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.