SM U-28 was a Type U 27 U-boat that served in the First World War. It conducted 5 patrols, sinking 40 ships totalling 90,126 GRT.
Career U-28 was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 26 June 1914, with Freiherr Georg-Günther von Forstner (1882-1940) in command. Commander von Forstner was relieved on 15 June 1916 by Otto Rohrbeck, who was in turn relieved on 5 August by Freiherr von Loe-Degenhart. On 15 January 1917, Georg Schmidt took command.
On 30 July 1915, U-28 sank the British steamer Iberian. According to Commander von Forstner's account of the incident, the wreckage remained under the water for about 25 seconds until an explosion sent some of the debris flying up. It is said that along with the debris, a creature described as a "gigantic aquatic animal" resembling a crocodile was seen, which quickly disappeared from sight.
Sinking U-28s final patrol began on 19 August 1917, when it departed from Emden for the Arctic Ocean. On 2 September, at 11:55 am, it encountered the armed English steamer , north-by-northeast of North Cape, Norway. U-28 scored a torpedo hit, and closed in to finish the steamer with gunfire. The shells detonated Olive Branchs cargo of munitions, which it had been carrying from England to Arkhangelsk, Russia, and the subsequent explosion so badly damaged the nearby U-boat that it sank along with the steamer. All 39 of its crew were lost; some were seen swimming, but were not picked up by Olive Branchs lifeboats.Spindler, Arno (1932). Der Krieg zur See: Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. Mittler.
An alternative description of the event states that when the ammunition detonated, a truck carried as deck cargo was blown into the air and fell from a great height on the U-boat, sinking it.Gwatkin-Williams, R. S. (1922). Under the Black Ensign. Hutchinson & Co.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageFate17 March 1915Leeuwarden990Sunk18 March 1915Zaanstrom1,657Captured as prize18 March 1915Batavier V1,569Captured as prize25 March 1915Medea1,235Sunk27 March 19152,114Sunk27 March 1915South Point3,837Sunk27 March 1915Vosges1,295Sunk28 March 19154,806Sunk28 March 1915City Of Cambridge3,788Damaged29 March 1915Flaminian3,500Sunk29 March 1915Theseus6,723Damaged30 March 1915Crown of Castile4,505Sunk30 July 1915Iberian5,223Sunk31 July 1915Nugget405Sunk31 July 1915Turquoise486Sunk1 August 1915Benvorlich3,381Sunk1 August 1915Clintonia3,830Sunk1 August 1915Koophandel1,736Sunk1 August 1915Ranza2,320Sunk2 August 1915HMS Portia494Sunk3 August 1915Costello1,591Sunk4 August 1915Midland Queen1,993Sunk26 March 1916Norne1,224Sunk28 March 1916Rio Tiete3,042Sunk30 March 1916Trewyn3,084Sunk30 March 1916Saint Hubert232Sunk31 March 1916Vigo1,137Sunk1 April 1916Bengairn2,127Sunk29 May 1917Fridtjof Nansen2,190Sunk29 May 1917Karna210Sunk29 May 1917Kodan217Sunk3 June 1917Merioneth3,004Sunk4 June 1917Algol2,088Sunk5 June 1917Alaska90Sunk5 June 1917Duen30Sunk5 June 1917Sydkap40Sunk8 June 1917Manchester Engineer4,465Damaged8 June 1917Sverre II44Sunk10 June 1917Marie Elsie2,615Sunk10 June 1917Perla5,355Sunk28 August 1917Hidalgo4,271Sunk28 August 1917Whitecourt3,680Sunk28 August 1917Marselieza3,568Sunk1 September 1917Dront3,488Sunk2 September 1917Olive Branch4,649Sunk
See also SM UB-85
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
External links