SM UC-70 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 20 November 1916 as SM UC-70."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. In ten patrols UC-70 was credited with sinking 33 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 28 August 1918, UC-70 was spotted lying submerged on the sea bottom and attacked by a Blackburn Kangaroo patrol aircraft of No. 246 Squadron RAF and then was then sunk by depth charges from the British destroyer . The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-70 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-70 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.Fate14 February 1917Marthe Yvonne30Sunk16 March 1917Cordouan28Sunk16 March 1917Margaret VI852Damaged17 March 1917Alcide Marie26Sunk17 March 1917Camille Emile20Sunk17 March 1917Dieu Te Garde30Sunk17 March 1917Juliette29Sunk17 March 1917Louis XIV44Sunk17 March 1917Notre Dame Du Perpetuel Secours29Sunk17 March 1917Nozal34Sunk17 March 1917Renee Islander25Sunk17 March 1917Rupella38Sunk17 March 1917Tasso1,859Sunk18 March 1917Madone31Sunk18 March 1917Entente Cordiale22Sunk18 March 1917Felicite Albert32Sunk18 March 1917Hyacinthe Yvonne43Sunk19 March 1917Bergsli2,133Sunk19 March 1917Michel1,773Sunk24 March 1917Tapir200Sunk16 April 1917Eduard476Sunk17 April 1917Nirvana6,021Damaged30 April 1917Eden1,304Sunk7 May 1917Lowmount2,070Sunk18 May 1917C.E.C.G.47Sunk18 May 1917Dromore268Sunk23 May 1917Begona N°32,699Sunk27 May 1917General De Boisdeffre2,195Sunk28 May 1917Ancona1,168Sunk27 May 1918Wayside Flower21Sunk28 May 1918Coronation19Sunk4 June 1918Cento3,708Damaged9 July 1918Frederika91Sunk17 July 1918Elin139Damaged21 July 1918Genesee2,830Damaged21 July 1918Mongolian4,892Sunk23 July 1918Boorara6,570Damaged24 July 1918Kilkis4,302Sunk26 July 1918Ango7,393Damaged28 August 1918Giralda1,100Sunk
Loss UC-70 was depth charged and sunk off Whitby, Yorkshire on 28 August 1918 with the loss of all 31 crew. The wreck was given protected status by Historic England in 2017.
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