SM U-90 was a Type U-87 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Its commander Walter Remy made regular stops at remote island North Rona for provisions such as fresh mutton. On 15 May 1918, U-90 shelled the Hirta wireless station in St Kilda, Scotland. On 31 May 1918, U-90 torpedoed and sank , a former Hamburg America Line steamer that had been seized by the United States for troop transportation. From the U.S. Navy crew that abandoned the sinking vessel, U-90 captured Lieutenant Edouard Izac, eventually taking him to Germany. Izac later escaped German captivity and reported to the US Navy about German submarine movements.
U-90 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 20 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany, and later laid up at Pembroke. She was to be loaned to Belgium, and was en route there in tow from Pembroke when she foundered off the Isle of Wight on 29 November 1919.
Design Type U 87 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 81 submarines. U-90 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-90 was fitted with four torpedo tubes (two at the bow and two at the stern), ten to twelve torpedoes, and one deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate25 September 1917Union Republicaine44Sunk27 September 1917Deux Jeannes50Sunk27 September 1917Liberte49Sunk27 September 1917Peuples Freres41Sunk30 September 1917Drake2,267Sunk30 September 1917Heron885Sunk1 October 1917Neuilly2,186Sunk3 October 1917Jeannette226Sunk20 November 1917Robert Morris146Sunk21 November 1917Aros Castle4,460Sunk22 January 1918Corton3,405Damaged22 January 1918Victor De Chavarri2,957Sunk24 January 1918Charles78Sunk25 January 1918Normandy618Sunk26 January 1918Union677Sunk30 January 1918Lindeskov1,254Sunk31 January 1918Martin Gust248Sunk1 February 1918Arrino4,484Sunk16 March 1918Oilfield4,000Sunk28 March 1918City of Winchester114Sunk8 April 1918Superb489Sunk29 May 1918Begum4,646Sunk29 May 1918Carlton5,265Sunk31 May 191818,168Sunk15 August 19186,659Sunk15 August 1918J. M. J.54Sunk16 August 19185,189Damaged17 August 1918Escrick4,151Sunk17 August 1918Joseph Cudahy3,302Sunk24 August 1918Graciosa2,276Sunk14 October 1918Dundalk794Sunk16 October 1918Pentwyn3,587Sunk
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