SM ''U-28'') and combined with the ''U'' for would be translated as ''His Majesty's Submarine''. was a Type U 27

U-boat 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 ro ...

that served in the

First World War 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 ...

. It conducted 5 patrols, sinking 40 ships totalling 90,126 GRT.

Career

''U-28'' was commissioned into the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaise ...

on 26 June 1914, with Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner (1882-1940) in command. Commander von Forstner was relieved on 15 June 1916 by Otto Rohrbeck, who was in turn relieved on 5 August by Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart. On 15 January 1917, Georg Schmidt took command. On 30 July 1915, ''U-28'' sank the British steamer '' Iberian''. According to Commander von Forstner's account of the incident, the wreckage remained under the water for about 25 seconds until an explosion sent some of the debris flying up. It is said that along with the debris, a creature described as a "gigantic aquatic animal" resembling a crocodile was seen, which quickly disappeared from sight.

Sinking

''U-28''s final patrol began on 19 August 1917, when it departed from Emden for the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...

. On 2 September, at 11:55 am, it encountered the armed English steamer , north-by-northeast of North Cape, Norway. ''U-28'' scored a torpedo hit, and closed in to finish the steamer with gunfire. The shells detonated ''Olive Branch''s cargo of munitions, which it had been carrying from England to

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near ...

, Russia, and the subsequent explosion so badly damaged the U-boat that it sank along with the steamer. All 39 of its crew were lost; some were seen swimming, but were not picked up by ''Olive Branch''s lifeboats. An alternative description of the event states that when the ammunition detonated, a truck carried as deck cargo was blown into the air and fell from a great height on the U-boat, sinking it.Gwatkin-Williams, R. S. (1922). ''Under the Black Ensign''. Hutchinson & Co.

Summary of raiding history

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:U0028 Type U 27 submarines U-boats commissioned in 1914 Maritime incidents in 1917 U-boats sunk in 1917 World War I submarines of Germany Shipwrecks in the Barents Sea 1913 ships Ships built in Danzig Submarines lost with all hands