SM UC-69 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 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 22 December 1916 as SM UC-69."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. In nine patrols UC-69 was credited with sinking 54 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-69 was sunk after being accidentally rammed by near Barfleur on 6 December 1917. The wreck was accidentally discovered in November 2017 by the Dutch naval mine sweeper Zr.Ms. Makkum which was mapping the sea-bed off the French Normandy coast.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-69 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-69 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.Fate12 March 1917975Damaged25 March 1917Huntleys186Sunk25 March 1917Mary Annie154Sunk26 March 1917Norma1,443Sunk27 March 1917Aasta1,146Sunk27 March 1917Grib1,474Sunk27 March 1917Thracia2,891Sunk28 March 1917Katina2,464Sunk29 March 1917Morild I1,354Sunk30 March 1917Avanguardia2,703Sunk30 March 1917Britta2,061Sunk31 March 1917Farmand1,387Sunk1 May 1917Barreiro1,738Sunk3 May 1917Maria2,754Sunk3 May 1917Polstad2,692Sunk4 May 1917Ilva2,140Sunk4 May 1917Ioannis P. Goulandris3,153Sunk4 May 1917Tromp2,751Sunk6 May 1917Gurth1,340Sunk6 May 1917Voss2,390Sunk7 May 1917Leikanger3,544Sunk7 May 1917Tiger3,273Sunk22 May 1917Nann Smith2,093Sunk12 June 1917Alexandre697Sunk14 June 1917Hasting983Sunk15 June 1917Addah4,397Sunk16 June 1917La Tour D’agon125Sunk17 June 1917Marguerite VI862Damaged19 June 1917Bearn1,288Sunk19 June 1917Spind1,174Sunk20 June 1917Katerina3,092Sunk21 June 1917E. T. Nygaard1,923Sunk24 June 1917Cabo Verde2,220Sunk24 June 1917Helma1,131Sunk10 July 1917Kansan7,913Sunk20 July 1917Kageshima Maru4,697Sunk23 July 1917Frithjof1,389Sunk24 July 1917Sir Walter492Sunk25 July 1917Baldwin1,130Sunk26 July 1917Bertha107Sunk26 July 1917Locksley2,487Sunk26 July 1917Venturoso290Sunk28 July 1917Hildur961Sunk29 July 1917Gyldenpris2,667Sunk10 August 1917War Patrol2,045Sunk1 September 1917Erato2,041Sunk2 September 1917Ker Durand56Sunk2 September 1917Rytonhall4,203Sunk4 September 1917Sadi Carnot354Sunk5 September 1917Alesia6,006Damaged15 September 1917Sommeina3,317Sunk26 September 1917Acorn112Sunk26 September 1917Port Victor7,280Damaged6 October 1917Lamartine424Sunk6 October 1917Le Coq3,419Damaged2 November 1917Farraline1,226Sunk27 November 1917Gladys179Sunk9 February 1918Fantoft1,034Sunk19 September 1918BelliqueuxUnknownSunk
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