SM UB-55 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () during World War I. She was commissioned into the Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 1 July 1917 as SM UB-55.
She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge. UB-55 was sunk at 05:05 on 22 April 1918 at after striking a mine, 30 crew members lost their lives in the event.
Construction
She was built by AG Weser, Bremen and following just under a year of construction, launched at Bremen on 9 May 1917. UB-55 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Ralph Wenninger. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-55 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a deck gun. UB-55 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of . UB-55 had a displacement of while surfaced and when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at when surfaced and when submerged.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageTonnages are in gross register tonsFate5 November 1917Clan Cumming4,808Damaged7 December 1917Proba105Sunk8 December 1917Corinto999Sunk11 December 1917Argus100Sunk11 December 1917Ligeiro25Sunk11 December 1917A Portuguesa107Sunk11 December 1917Vigneira25Sunk16 December 1917Foylemore3,831Sunk25 January 1918Eastlands3,113Sunk26 January 1918Manhattan8,001Damaged29 January 1918Addax40Sunk29 January 1918General Leman57Sunk29 January 1918Ibex42Sunk29 January 1918Perriton90Sunk29 January 1918Perseverance51Sunk30 January 1918HMS Wellholme113Sunk14 March 1918A. A. Raven2,459Sunk21 March 1918Begonia3,070Sunk23 March 1918Chattahoochee8,007Sunk23 March 1918Madame Midas1,203Sunk23 March 1918Mar Baltico2,023Sunk23 March 1918Venborg1,065Sunk24 March 1918Fileur73Sunk
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