SM UC-34

SM UC-34 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 6 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 September 1916 as SM UC-34. In nine patrols UC-34 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.

On 30 December 1917 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Horst Obermüller, UC-34 torpedoed the British troop ship HMT Aragon off the Port of Alexandria. Aragon's escort, the destroyer HMS Attack (1911), rescued 300 to 400 survivors but then UC-34 torpedoed and sank her was well. Of 2,500 personnel who had been aboard Aragon, 610 were killed.

UC-34 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.

Design
A Type UC II submarine, UC-34 had a displacement of 427 t when at the surface and 509 t while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m o/a, a beam of 5.22 m, and a draught of 3.65 m. The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 PS (a total of 600 PS), two electric motors producing 460 PS, and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 kn and a submerged speed of 6.8 kn. When submerged, she could operate for 54 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 10180 nmi at 7 kn. UC-34 was fitted with six 100 cm mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 cm torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.