SM UC-7 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () 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."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. 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 when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by one Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine producing , an electric motor producing , and one propeller shaft. She was capable of operating at a depth of .
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 . UC-7 was fitted with six mine tubes, twelve UC 120 mines, and one 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. sighted a submarine believed to be UC-7 on 5 July, west of the Bligh Bank, 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.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate1 September 1915HMT Malta138Sunk1 September 1915HMT Nadine150Sunk1 September 1915Savona1,180Sunk3 September 1915Churston2,470Sunk22 September 1915Koningin Emma9,181Sunk26 September 1915Vigilant69Sunk5 October 1915Novocastrian1,151Sunk6 October 1915Texelstroom1,601Sunk28 November 1915HMT William Morrison212Sunk8 December 1915Ignis2,042Sunk10 December 1915Ingstad780Sunk21 December 1915Knarsdale1,641Sunk31 December 1915HMT Speeton205Sunk6 February 1916Balgownie1,061Sunk8 February 1916Elswick Manor3,943Damaged11 February 19163,520Sunk26 February 1916Dido4,769Sunk27 February 1916Mecklenburg2,885Sunk9 March 1916HMS Fauvette2,644Sunk18 March 1916HMT Ameer216Sunk18 March 1916Lowlands1,789Sunk19 March 1916HMT Valpa230Sunk24 March 1916Fulmar1,270Sunk25 March 1916HMD Hilary II78Sunk26 March 1916Cerne2,579Sunk2 April 1916Bourbaki2,208Damaged2 April 1916HMT Commandant207Sunk9 April 1916Avon1,574Sunk14 April 1916HMT Alberta209Sunk14 April 1916HMT Orcades270Sunk15 April 1916Tusnastabb859Sunk23 April 1916HMT Lena Melling274Sunk10 May 1916Dolcoath1,706Sunk18 June 1916Seaconnet2,294Sunk
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