SM U-90

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-90.

History

German Empire
Name:	U-90
Ordered:	23 June 1915
Builder:	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number:	34
Laid down:	29 December 1915
Launched:	12 January 1917
Commissioned:	2 August 1917
Fate:	Surrendered 20 November 1918; broken up 1919–1920
General characteristics ^[1]
Class and type:	German Type U 87 submarine
Displacement:	757 t (745 long tons) surfaced 998 t (982 long tons) submerged
Length:	65.80 m (215 ft 11 in) (o/a) 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (o/a) 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	9.35 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught:	3.88 m (12 ft 9 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 × 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers
Speed:	16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) surfaced 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph) submerged
Range:	11,380 nmi (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 56 nmi (104 km; 64 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:	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern) 10-12 torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy: III Flotilla 10 September 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Walter Remy^[2] 2 August 1917 – 31 July 1918 Oblt.z.S. Helmut Patzig^[3] 1–31 August 1918 Kptlt. Heinrich Jeß^[4] 1 September – 11 November 1918
Operations:	7 patrols
Victories:	30 merchant ships sunk (74,175 GRT) 2 ships damaged (8,594 GRT)

SM U-90 was a Type U 87 u-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.^[5] Its commander Walter Remy made regular stops at remote island North Rona for provisions such as fresh mutton. On 15 May 1918, U-90 shelled the Hirta wireless station in St Kilda, Scotland. On 31 May 1918, U-90 torpedoed and sank USS President Lincoln, a former Hamburg America Line steamer that had been seized by the United States for troop transportation. From the U.S. Navy crew that abandoned the sinking vessel, U-90 captured Lieutenant Edouard Izac, eventually taking him to Germany. Izac later escaped German captivity and reported to the US Navy about German submarine movements.

Design

German Type U 87 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 81 submarines. U-90 had a displacement of 757 tonnes (745 long tons) when at the surface and 998 tonnes (982 long tons) while submerged.^[1] It had a total length of 215 ft 11 in (65.81 m), a pressure hull length of 164 ft 3 in (50.06 m), a beam of 20 ft 4 in (6.20 m), a height of 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m), and a draught of 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m). The submarine was powered by two 2,400 metric horsepower (1,800 kW; 2,400 shp) engines for use while surfaced, and two 1,200 metric horsepower (880 kW; 1,200 shp) engines for use while submerged. It had two shafts and two 1.66 m (5.4 ft) propellers. It was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).^[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph).^[1] When submerged, it could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, it could travel 11,380 nautical miles (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-90 was fitted with four 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (two at the bow and two at the stern), ten to twelve torpedoes, one 10.5-centimetre (4.1 in) deck gun, and one 8.8-centimetre (3.5 in) deck gun. It had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).^[1]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 1]}	Fate^[6]
25 September 1917	Union Republicaine	France	44	Sunk
27 September 1917	Deux Jeannes	France	50	Sunk
27 September 1917	Liberte	France	49	Sunk
27 September 1917	Peuples Freres	France	41	Sunk
30 September 1917	Drake	United Kingdom	2,267	Sunk
30 September 1917	Heron	United Kingdom	885	Sunk
1 October 1917	Neuilly	France	2,186	Sunk
3 October 1917	Jeannette	France	226	Sunk
20 November 1917	Robert Morris	United Kingdom	146	Sunk
21 November 1917	Aros Castle	United Kingdom	4,460	Sunk
22 January 1918	Corton	United Kingdom	3,405	Damaged
22 January 1918	Victor De Chavarri	Spain	2,957	Sunk
24 January 1918	Charles	United Kingdom	78	Sunk
25 January 1918	Normandy	United Kingdom	618	Sunk
26 January 1918	Union	France	677	Sunk
30 January 1918	Lindeskov	Denmark	1,254	Sunk
31 January 1918	Martin Gust	Russian Empire	248	Sunk
1 February 1918	Arrino	United Kingdom	4,484	Sunk
16 March 1918	Oilfield	United Kingdom	4,000	Sunk
28 March 1918	City of Winchester	United Kingdom	114	Sunk
8 April 1918	Superb	Norway	489	Sunk
29 May 1918	Begum	United Kingdom	4,646	Sunk
29 May 1918	Carlton	United Kingdom	5,265	Sunk
31 May 1918	USS President Lincoln	United States Navy	18,168	Sunk
15 August 1918	USS Montanan	United States Navy	6,659	Sunk
15 August 1918	J. M. J.	France	54	Sunk
16 August 1918	USS West Bridge	United States Navy	5,189	Damaged
17 August 1918	Escrick	United Kingdom	4,151	Sunk
17 August 1918	Joseph Cudahy	United States	3,302	Sunk
24 August 1918	Graciosa	Portugal	2,276	Sunk
14 October 1918	Dundalk	United Kingdom	794	Sunk
16 October 1918	Pentwyn	United Kingdom	3,587	Sunk

References

Notes

↑ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 Gröner 1991, pp. 12-14.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Remy (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Helmut Patzig (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Heinrich Jeß (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 90". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 89". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 January 2015.

Bibliography

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.

German Type U 87 submarines

U-87 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92

Preceded by:Type U 81 Followed by:Type U 93 List of U-boats of Germany

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