SM UC-7

SM UC-7 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 6 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 9 July 1915 as SM UC-7. Mines laid by UC-7 in her 34 patrols were credited with sinking 32 ships.

Design
A Type UC I submarine, UC-7 had a displacement of 168 t when at the surface and 183 t while submerged. She had a length overall of 33.99 m, a beam of 3.15 m, and a draught of 3.04 m. The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing 90 PS, an electric motor producing 175 PS, and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of 50 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 6.20 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 5.22 kn. When submerged, she could operate for 50 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 780 nmi at 5 kn. UC-7 was fitted with six 100 cm mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 8 mm machine gun. She was built by AG Vulcan Stettin and her complement was fourteen crew members.

Fate
UC-7 sailed from Zeebrugge on 3 July 1916 to lay mines off the English coast and failed to return. SMU UB-12 sighted a submarine believed to be UC-7 on 5 July, west of the Bligh Bank, 46 km from Ostend. The submarine in question was reported to be on a course that would run it into a minefield, and Verschollen notes that the time and place would be correct if UC-7 were returning to base. The bodies of two crew members were later washed ashore on the coast of Flanders on 19 July. She was claimed that UC-7 was sunk by HMS Salmon on 7 July off Southwold, but this was doubted since the reported position was too far off UC-7's operating area.