U-boat sunk by aircraft ?

[historydavid]

Have just come across a ref which states that UC70 was bombed by an aircraft on 28 Aug 1918 and judging by the oil and large air bubble that followed it might well have sunk it.

The pilot had spotted an oil slick on the surface and aimed for it.

The navy sent a destroyer HMS Ouse, which depth charged the site off the Yorkshire coast.

An inspection by divers two weeks later found the wreck of UC70.

Does anyone know the i/d of the plane?

historydavid

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

David,

My references to the incident you mentioned show that the UC70 was sunk 5 June 1917 near Ostend by gunfire from R.N. monitors, salved and re-commissioned January 1918. It was then sunk on 28 August 1918 in the North Sea by the R.N. destroyer Ouse.

The UC72 was reported sunk on 22 September 1917 after being bombed by seaplanes, off Sunk L.V. (?)

Ralph

[Dolphin]

David

The aircraft involved in the bombing of UC70 was Blackburn Kangaroo B9983 of No 246 Sqn RAF, flown by Lt E F Warin, Lt H J Smith and Signaller Reed. A 520lb bomb was dropped on the submerged submarine. The Kangaroo was based at Seaton Carew.

A photograph of a Kangaroo, in this case B9985, is below.

I hope this is useful.

Gareth

[Michael Lowrey]

The UC72 was reported sunk on 22 September 1917 after being bombed by seaplanes, off Sunk L.V. (?)

The Sunk LV is east of Harwich. The attack described must certainly did not sink UC 72; the date and location do not match. Flanders-based UCII class submarine patrols were comparatively short; typically only 12 to 17 days for boats operating through Dover into the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, or Irish Sea. The record patrol length for such a boat that returned home is 20 days. UC 72 sailed on August 12, 1917 and was undoubyedly lost well before Sept. 22.

Also, UC 72's assigned patrol area Bay of Biscay; as such, she would not have been anywhere near the Sunk LV. It has been suggested that UC 72 was sunk by a Q-ship on August 20, 1917; though an unexplained sinking in the area the next day makes this claim questionable.

Best wishes,

Michael

[historydavid]

Michael,

Kemp's "U-boats Destroyed" has UC72 destroyed by gunfire from decoy vessel Acton in Bay of Biscay on 20 August 1917, after leaving Zeebrugge on 12 August for minelaying operation off French coast, prior to heading for Bay of Biscay.

Ralph,

Kemp has UB32 bombed and destroyed by an RNAS Curtiss H8 large American flying boat on 22 September 1917.

Best wishes

David

[Michael Lowrey]

David,

Don't get too attached to the commonly listed sinkings causes for either UB 32 or UC 72; both are extremely problematic.

UC 72: The Acton actually did not claim to have sunk an U-boat, that suggestion comes from Admiral Arno Spindler in the official German history. Spindler didn't have a better explaination, so he went with the Q-ship action. Spindler, however, overlooked one critical piece of evidence: a British tug is sunk in Bay of Biscay the day after the Acton's engagement with UC 72. There is no attribution for this sinking in Spindler and there's nothing in the war diaries of the other boats in the area to suggest they were responsible...

UB 32: The commonly listed loss location for UB 32 is some 20 miles too far north for a Flanders-based submarine returning from the English Channel. Spindler, thought the claim weak, and I have to agree.

The Belgian diver Tomas Termote published a book describing his diving the wrecks of three Flanders-based UBII class German submarine vessels. The identity of two has been establised (UB 20, UB 39). There's an explaination for all other UBII losses outside the Med and the location of the third wreck, which was mined, does not match any of these know losses. In other words, at least one commonly accepted UBII loss cause is wrong. UB 32 is one of a very few boats that could be this wreck. Research is ongoing.

Best wishes,

Michael