SM U-72 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-72 was engaged in the commerce war in First Battle of the Atlantic.
Design Type UE I submarines were preceded by the longer Type U 66 submarines. U-72 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two engines for use while surfaced, and two engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to .
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 . U-72 was fitted with two torpedo tubes (one at the port bow and one starboard stern), four torpedoes, and one deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-two (twenty-eight crew members and four officers).
Operations U-72 left the stocks at Hamburg (AG Vulcan) in March 1916, joined the Kiel School, and first entered North Sea on 11 April 1916. Attached 1st Half Flotilla, under the command of Kaptlt. Krafft.HW 7/3, Room 40, History of German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. National Archives, Kew. 15–21 April 1916. Cruise in North Sea. Returned with defects. 23–2 May 1916. ? Cruise in North Sea. 21 June to 4 July 1916. Northabout. Laid mines off Cape Wrath. 20 August - ? 15 September 1916. Northabout to Mediterranean. Laid mines off Lisbon, Oran and Cape Blanc. On arriving at Cattaro joined the Pola-Cattaro Flotilla. Of U-72s operations in the Mediterranean, little is known after her arrival in September 1916. On a cruise from the middle of February 1917 until 6 March 1917, she sank 4 steamers and stopped British hospital ship, Dunluce Castle. She damaged and was later unsuccessfully attacked by armed trawlers. U-72 was reported as not having cruised, with the above exception, after January 1917, and was regarded as a lame duck. Indeed of her class, U-71 to U-80 (all minelayers), U-80 was the only boat not continually in dockyard hands. At the end of October 1918, U-72 was blown up at evacuation of Cattaro.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate7 September 1916Achaia2,733Sunk7 September 1916Hiso1,562Sunk7 September 1916HMS Doreen9Sunk7 September 1916HMS Allegro7Sunk7 September 1916HMS Griffin10Sunk7 September 1916HMS PuffinUnknownDamaged19 November 1916Maria Di Pompei286Sunk23 November 1916Margherita F.44Sunk26 November 1916Christoforos3,674Sunk27 November 1916Salvatore Ciampa1,728Sunk2 December 1916Palermo9,203Sunk11 December 1916Jeanne534Sunk14 December 1916Caledonia7,572Damaged3 June 1917Manin B.249Sunk7 June 1917Errington Court4,461Damaged8 June 1917Cheltonian4,426Sunk8 June 1917Felicina165Sunk9 June 1917Bravore1,650Sunk9 June 1917General Laurie238Sunk9 June 1917Montebello2,603Sunk13 June 1917Santo622Sunk13 June 1917Biagio276Sunk25 June 1917Southern5,694Damaged7 July 1917Shigizan Maru2,828Sunk1 August 1917Rokeby3,786Damaged4 August 1917British Monarch5,749Sunk
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