| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Preceded by | Type U 3 |
| Succeeded by | Type U 9 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Lost | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 24 men |
| Armament |
|
Type U 5 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine.
Type U 5s had an overall length of 57.30 m (188 ft 0 in) The boats' beam was 5.60 m (18 ft 4 in), the draught was 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in). The boats displaced 505 tonnes (497 long tons) when surfaced and 636 t (626 long tons) when submerged.[1][2]
Type U 5s were fitted with two Körting 6-cylinder and two 8-cylinder two-stroke paraffin engines with a total of 900 metric horsepower (662 kW; 888 bhp) for use on the surface and two SSW double-acting electric motors with a total of 760 kW (1,033 PS; 1,019 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, which gave the boats a top surface speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph), and 10.2 knots (18.9 km/h; 11.7 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) on the surface and 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.[1][2] Constructional diving depth[a] was 50 m (164 ft 1 in).[3][2]
The U-boats were armed with four 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried six torpedoes. The boats' complement was 4 officers and 24 enlisted men.[4][2]
Type U 5 U-boats were the first U-boats to be equipped with a radiotelegraphy station. This station had a range of 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) between U-boats and double that distanc towards shore stations. Two aerial masts were installed on the deck, which could be lowered from inside the boat. A crude Underwater telegraph consisting of a bell with a clapper activated by compressed air, was also introduced with the Type U 5s, but this system was not satisfactory.[5]
| Name | launched[6] | commissioned[6] | ships sunk (nbr / GRT)[6] | Fate[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-5 | 8 January 1910 | 2 July 1910 | none | Sunk on 18 December 1914 in the English Channel. |
| U-6 | 18 May 1910 | 12 August 1910 | 13 / 4.654 | Sunk on 15 September 1915 near Norway. |
| U-7 | 28 July 1910 | 18 July 1911 | none | Sunk on 21 February 1915 near Netherlands. |
| U-8 | 14 March 1911 | 18 June 1911 | 5 / 15.049 | Sunk on 4 March 1915 in the English Channel. |
