|
Quick facts for kids History |
 German Empire |
| Name |
U-87 |
| Ordered |
23 June 1915 |
| Builder |
Kaiserliche Werft Danzig |
| Yard number |
31 |
| Laid down |
28 October 1915 |
| Launched |
22 May 1916 |
| Commissioned |
26 February 1917 |
| Fate |
Sunk 25 December 1917 |
| General characteristics |
| 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) (oa)
- 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 |
- 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) surfaced
- 8.6 knots (15.9 km/h; 9.9 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 (160 ft) |
| 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) SK L/45 deck gun
- 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun
|
| Service record |
| Part of: |
- Imperial German Navy
- III Flotilla
- 24 April – 25 December 1917
|
| Commanders: |
- Kptlt. Rudolf Schneider
- 26 February – 13 October 1917
- Kptlt. Freiherr Rudolf von Speth-Schülzburg
- 13 October – 25 December 1917
|
| Operations: |
5 patrols |
| Victories: |
- 23 merchant ships sunk (59,884 GRT)
- 2 merchant ships damaged (7,638 GRT)
|
SM U-87 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I. U-87 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. She sank some 22 merchant vessels before 25 December 1917, when HMS Buttercup rammed U-87 in the Irish Sea and depth-charged her. Then the P-class sloop P.56 sank her. U-87's entire crew of 44 were lost.
Design
German Type U 87 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 81 submarines. The first of its type, U-87 had a displacement of 757 tonnes (745 long tons) when at the surface and 998 tonnes (982 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 65.80 m (215 ft 11 in), a pressure hull length of 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in), and a draught of 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in). 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. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8.6 knots (15.9 km/h; 9.9 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 11,380 nautical miles (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-87 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 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).
Summary of raiding history
| Date |
Name |
Nationality |
Tonnage |
Fate |
| 23 May 1917 |
Bernisse |
 Netherlands |
951 |
Damaged |
| 23 May 1917 |
Elve |
Netherlands |
962 |
Sunk |
| 26 May 1917 |
Lucipara |
 Russia |
1,943 |
Sunk |
| 26 May 1917 |
Saint Mirren |
 United Kingdom |
1,956 |
Sunk |
| 30 May 1917 |
Bathurst |
United Kingdom |
2,821 |
Sunk |
| 30 May 1917 |
Hanley |
United Kingdom |
3,331 |
Sunk |
| 2 June 1917 |
Eliofilo |
 Italy |
3,583 |
Sunk |
| 2 June 1917 |
Mississippi |
 France |
6,687 |
Damaged |
| 4 July 1917 |
Loch Katrine |
United Kingdom |
151 |
Sunk |
| 8 July 1917 |
Valetta |
United Kingdom |
5,871 |
Sunk |
| 10 July 1917 |
Seang Choon |
United Kingdom |
5,807 |
Sunk |
| 11 July 1917 |
Kioto |
United Kingdom |
6,182 |
Sunk |
| 12 July 1917 |
Castleton |
United Kingdom |
2,395 |
Sunk |
| 16 July 1917 |
Tamele |
United Kingdom |
3,932 |
Sunk |
| 19 July 1917 |
Artensis |
 Norway |
1,788 |
Sunk |
| 21 July 1917 |
Coniston Water |
United Kingdom |
3,738 |
Sunk |
| 19 August 1917 |
Eika II |
Norway |
1,268 |
Sunk |
| 21 August 1917 |
Oslo |
United Kingdom |
2,296 |
Sunk |
| 22 August 1917 |
Alexander Shukoff |
 Denmark |
1,652 |
Sunk |
| 27 August 1917 |
Anna |
Denmark |
1,211 |
Sunk |
| 27 August 1917 |
Aurora |
Denmark |
768 |
Sunk |
| 13 December 1917 |
Little Gem |
United Kingdom |
114 |
Sunk |
| 24 December 1917 |
Daybreak |
United Kingdom |
3,238 |
Sunk |
| 25 December 1917 |
Agberi |
United Kingdom |
4,821 |
Sunk |
Fate and discovery
In August 2017, researchers from Bangor University in Wales announced they had discovered the sunken wreck of U-87 while conducting multibeam surveys 10 miles northwest of Bardsey Island as part of the marine renewable energy SEACAMS 2 project. Detailed sonar images reveal the wreck to be lying in one piece with what appears to be a large area of damage near the conning tower, presumably caused by in the ramming collision by escort P.56.
