SM UC-50 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 23 November 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 21 December 1916 as SM UC-50."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. In nine patrols UC-50 was credited with sinking 29 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-50 went missing after 7 January 1918 while sailing for the Bay of Biscay.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-50 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 two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing (a total of ), two electric motors producing , and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . UC-50 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
Previously recorded fate UC-50 was thought to have been rammed and depth charged by ,Messimer, p. 290. but this attack actually damaged the .
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate13 March 1917La Campine2,557Sunk16 March 1917Gudbrand1,860Sunk17 March 1917Caledonia161Sunk17 March 1917Expedit680Sunk17 March 1917Gowan25Sunk17 March 1917Kestrel181Sunk20 March 1917Frisk1,038Sunk22 March 1917Rio Colorado3,565Sunk14 April 1917Venus725Sunk18 April 1917Witham144Sunk20 April 1917HMT Ruthin Castle275Sunk24 April 1917HMT Margate162Sunk24 April 1917Mayfly199Sunk24 April 1917HMT Gaul270Damaged26 April 1917Active149Sunk26 April 1917Telefon777Sunk27 May 1917Dartmoor2,870Sunk30 May 1917HMT Ina William337Sunk26 July 1917Carmarthen4,262Sunk3 September 1917La Negra8,312Sunk5 September 1917Emma73Sunk5 September 1917Florence Muspratt79Sunk5 September 1917Frances89Sunk5 September 1917Theodor230Sunk6 September 1917Alesia6,006Sunk7 September 1917Versailles70Sunk26 September 1917HMD Ocean Star92Sunk11 October 1917Baychattan3,758Sunk11 October 1917Mira3,700Sunk12 December 1917Emlyndene495Sunk
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