SM UC-66 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 12 January 1916 and was launched on 15 July 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 14 November 1916 as SM UC-66."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. In five patrols UC-66 was credited with sinking 32 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-66 was sunk by HM seaplane No. 8656, a Curtiss Model H-12, off the Isles of Scilly on 27 May 1917. The wreck was found by divers in 2009. This is a notable early aircraft success against a U-boat.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-66 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-66 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.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate11 February 1917Ada187Sunk11 February 1917Vasilissa Olga1,400Sunk11 February 1917Woodfield4,300Damaged12 February 1917Afric11,999Sunk12 February 1917Lucent1,409Sunk15 February 1917Alma Jeanne33Sunk15 February 1917Argos26Sunk15 February 1917Desire Louise31Sunk17 February 1917Driebergen1,884Sunk17 February 1917Ootmarsum2,313Sunk17 February 1917Trompenberg1,608Sunk21 February 1917Energy25Sunk21 February 1917K.L.M.28Sunk21 February 1917Monarch35Sunk22 February 1917Ambon3,598Damaged11 March 1917HMS Bayard220Damaged12 March 1917Einar Jarl1,849Sunk12 March 1917Forget-Me-Not40Sunk12 March 1917Glynymel1,394Sunk12 March 1917Memnon3,203Sunk12 March 1917Reindeer52Sunk13 March 1917Try34Sunk17 March 1917City of Memphis5,252Sunk17 March 1917HMS Mignonette1,250Sunk18 March 1917HMS Alyssum1,250Sunk19 March 1917Armoricain261Sunk20 March 1917HMHS Asturias12,002Damaged20 March 1917Hazelpark1,964Sunk21 March 1917Avance57Sunk22 March 1917Efeu569Sunk17 April 1917Clan Sutherland2,820Damaged22 April 1917Arethusa1,279Sunk23 April 1917HMT Rose II213Sunk27 April 1917Quantock4,470Damaged1 May 1917Bagdale3,045Sunk1 May 1917John W. Pearn76Sunk1 May 1917La Manche335Sunk25 May 1917Sjaelland1,405Sunk
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