SM ''U-17'') and combined with the ''U'' for ''Unterseeboot'' would be translated as ''His Majesty's Submarine''., group=Note was a

German submarine U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. ''U-17'' sank the first British merchant vessel in the First World War, and also sank another ten ships, damaged one ship and captured two ships, surviving the war without casualty.

War service

On , ''

Oberleutnant zur See ''Oberleutnant zur See'' (''OLt zS'' or ''OLZS'' in the German Navy, ''Oblt.z.S.'' in the '' Kriegsmarine'') is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1 in NATO. The rank was introduced in the Imp ...

'' Johannes Feldkirchener was given command of ''U-17''. On 20 October, ''U-17'' stopped the 866 ton off the

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

coast, and having searched her cargo, ordered the crew to the lifeboats before scuttling the vessel. On 26 October, ''U-17'' torpedoed the French ferry † in the Strait of Dover. The vessel made port before sinking, with the loss of 40 lives out of over 2,500 on board.
† - www.uboat.net credits the damage to the French steamer ''Amiral Ganteaume'' to . On 2 March 1915 the command of ''U-17'' passed to

Kapitänleutnant ''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...

Hans Walther. On 12 June 1915, ''U-17'' chased and torpedoed the off the coast of Scotland. The crew escaped on lifeboats while the vessel was scuttled and sunk. Walther's command ended on 9 January 1916 and the next day ''U-17'' joined the Training Flotilla.

Post war

''U-17'' was decommissioned on 27 January 1919 and sold for scrapping.

Summary of raiding history

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

Photo
of U-17.

Great photo quality, comments in German.
A 44 min. film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
A German propaganda film without dead or wounded; many details about submarine warfare in World War I. *

original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British

Room 40 Room 40, also known as 40 O.B. (old building; officially part of NID25), was the cryptanalysis section of the British Admiralty during the First World War. The group, which was formed in October 1914, began when Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver, the ...

Intelligence from

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

, Kew, Richmond, UK. {{DEFAULTSORT:U0017 Type U 17 submarines Ships built in Danzig 1912 ships U-boats commissioned in 1912 World War I submarines of Germany