SM U-86 was a Type U 81 submarine manufactured in the Germaniawerft, Kiel shipyard for the German Empire during World War I.
On 27 June 1918, under the command of Lieutenant Helmut Patzig, U-86 sank the Canadian hospital ship off the coast of Ireland, in violation of international law and standing orders of the Imperial German Navy. When the crew took to the lifeboats, U-86 surfaced, ran down all the lifeboats except one, and shot at the people in the water. Only the 24 people in the remaining lifeboat survived. They were rescued shortly afterwards and testified as to what had happened. The 234 others on board Llandovery Castle were lost, including fourteen nursing sisters.Llandovery Castle at red-duster.co.uk
, the former Hamburg America ocean liner SS Cincinnati, was torpedoed by U-86 on 1 July 1918 and sank the next day. Covington was the 17th largest ship sunk or damaged by U-boats during the war.
After the war, the captain of U-86 Helmut Patzig, and two of his lieutenants were arraigned for trial on war crimes, but Patzig fled to the Free City of Danzig, and his trial was stopped on 20 March 1931 by virtue of the Laws of Amnesty. Lieutenants Ludwig Dithmar and Johan Boldt were convicted and sentenced to four years in prison; they were released after four months.
Design Type U 81 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type UE I submarines. U-86 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two engines for use while surfaced, and two engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-86 was fitted with six torpedo tubes (four at the bow and two at the stern), twelve to sixteen torpedoes, and one SK L/45 deck gun (from 1917). She had a complement of thirty-five (thirty-one crew members and four officers).
Fate U-86 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 21 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. Exhibited at Bristol in December 1918, along with UC-92, visitors could pay to go on board with proceeds going to charity. She was then laid up at Portsmouth until scuttled in the English Channel on 30 June 1921.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate23 March 1917Queenborough165Sunk5 April 1917Dunkerquoise127Sunk5 April 1917Marie Celine142Sunk5 April 1917Siberier2,968Sunk6 April 1917Rosalind6,535Sunk18 April 1917Atalanta1,091Sunk28 May 1917Antinoe2,396Sunk28 May 1917Limerick6,827Sunk29 May 1917Oswego5,793Sunk31 May 1917N. Hadzikyriakos3,533Sunk2 July 1917Bessie66Sunk10 August 1917Capella I3,990Sunk13 August 1917Turakina9,920Sunk15 December 1917Baron Leopold Davilliers163Damaged20 December 1917Polvarth3,146Sunk14 February 1918Bessie Stephens119Sunk17 February 1918Pinewood2,219Sunk19 February 1918Wheatflower188Sunk20 February 1918Djerv1,527Sunk23 February 1918Ulabrand2,011Sunk30 April 1918Kafue6,044Sunk30 April 1918Kempock255Sunk2 May 1918Medora5,135Sunk5 May 1918Tommi138Sunk6 May 1918Leeds City4,298Sunk11 May 1918San Andres1,656Sunk12 May 1918Inniscarra1,412Sunk16 May 1918Tartary4,181Sunk22 May 1918Meran656Sunk21 June 1918Eglantine339Sunk26 June 1918Atlantian9,399Sunk27 June 191811,423Sunk1 July 191816,339Sunk1 July 1918Origen3,545Sunk
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External links Canadian report on loss of Llandovery Castle