SM U-23 (Austria-Hungary)
{{Short description|Austro-Hungarian Navy's U-20-class submarine}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=300px |Ship caption=The design for U-23 was based on that of the {{nowrap|Havmanden class}} of the Royal Danish Navy (Havmanden pictured) }} {{Infobox ship career |Ship country=Austria-Hungary |Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|Austria-Hungary|naval}} |Ship name=SM U-23 |Ship ordered=27 March 1915Halpern, p. 382. |Ship laid down= |Ship builder=Hungarian UBAG yard, FiumeGardiner, p. 344. |Ship launched=5 January 1917Gardiner, p. 343. |Ship commissioned=1917Halpern, p. 383. |Ship fate=Sunk by Italian destroyer Airone, 21 February 1918 }} {{Infobox service record |is_ship=yes |is_multi=yes |commanders=
|name=KUK U23 |id=KUK+U23 |type=1sub |access-date=29 November 2008 }} |operations= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Ship type={{sclass|U-20|submarine|1}} |Ship displacement=*173 t, surfaced |Ship length={{convert|127|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|13|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship draft={{convert|9|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*1 × shaft
|Ship speed=*{{convert|12|knots|km/h}} surfaced |Ship range=
|Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*2 × {{convert|45|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (both in front)
|Ship notes= }} |
SM U-23 or U-XXIII was a {{sclass|U-20|submarine}} or U-boat built for and operated by the Austro-Hungarian Navy ({{langx|de|Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine}} or {{lang|de|K.u.K. Kriegsmarine}}) during the First World War. The design for U-23 was based on that of the submarines of the Royal Danish Navy's Havmanden class (which had been designed by Whitehead & Co. in Fiume), and was largely obsolete by the beginning of the war.
U-23 was just over {{convert|127|ft|m}} long and was armed with two bow torpedo tubes, a deck gun, and a machine gun. In February 1918, U-23 was sunk with all hands by the Italian torpedo boat Airone while attempting an attack on the Italian transport {{SS|Memfi||2}}. U-23 had no wartime successes.
Design and construction
When it became apparent to the Austro-Hungarian Navy that the First World War would not be a short one,Halpern, p. 382. they moved to bolster their U-boat fleet by seizing the plans for the Danish Havmanden class submarines, which had been designed by Whitehead & Co. in Fiume, who had built three units. Although the Austro-Hungarian Navy was not happy with the design, which was largely obsolete,Gardiner, p. 341. it was the only design for which plans were available and which could be begun immediately in domestic shipyards. The Austro-Hungarian Navy unenthusiastically placed orders for U-23 and her three sister boats on 27 March 1915.
U-23 was one of two boats of the class to be built at the Hungarian UBAG yard in Fiume. Due to demands by the Hungarian government, subcontracts for the class were divided between Hungarian and Austrian firms, and this politically expedient solution worsened technical problems with the design, resulting in numerous modifications and delays for the class in general.
U-23 was an ocean-going submarine that displaced {{convert|173|t|ST}} surfaced and {{convert|210|t|ST|0}} submerged and was designed for a complement of 18. She was {{convert|127|ft|2|in|m}} long with a beam of {{convert|13|ft|m|1}} and a draft of {{convert|9|ft|m|1}}. For propulsion, she featured a single shaft, a single {{convert|450|bhp|abbr=on}} diesel engine for surface running, and a single {{convert|160|shp|abbr=on}} electric motor for submerged travel. She was capable of {{convert|12|knots|km/h}} while surfaced and {{convert|9|knots|km/h}} while submerged. Although there is no specific notation of a range for U-23, the Havmanden class, upon which the U-20 class was based, had a range of {{convert|1400|nmi|km}} at {{convert|10|knots|km/h}}, surfaced, and {{convert|23|nmi|km}} at {{convert|8|knots|km/h}} submerged.
U-23 was armed with two {{convert|45|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes located in the front and carried a complement of two torpedoes. She was also equipped with a Škoda 7 cm guns/26 deck gun and an {{convert|8|mm|in|abbr=on}} machine gun.
Service career
U-23 was launched on 5 January 1917, but It is not known with certainty when U-23 was commissioned. Author Paul Halpern reports that U-23 and her three sisters all entered service between August and November 1917. Although there are no specific reports of problems with U-23, the U-20 class as a whole suffered from unreliable engines which compounded the poor handling characteristics of the boats.
On 21 February 1918,Grant, p. 163. Linienschiffsleutnant Klemens Ritter von Bezard, U-23{{'}}s only commanding officer, was guiding the boat in an attack on the Italian transport {{SS|Memfi||2}} in the Straits of Otranto. U-23 came under attack by the Italian torpedo boat Airone which first tried to ram the U-boat, and then deployed an explosive paravane. When the paravane contacted the submerged U-23, it exploded, blowing debris into the air and sinking the submarine with all hands. Like all of her sister boats, U-23 had no wartime successes.
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | editor2-last=Gray | editor2-first=Randal | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 1985 | isbn = 978-0-87021-907-8 | oclc = 12119866 }}
- {{cite book | last = Gibson | first = R. H. | first2= Maurice |last2=Prendergast | title = The German Submarine War, 1914–1918 | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2003 | orig-year = 1931 | isbn = 978-1-59114-314-7 | oclc = 52924732 }}
- {{cite book | last = Grant | first = Robert M. | title = U-boats Destroyed: The Effect of Anti-submarine Warfare, 1914–1918 | location = Penzance | publisher = Periscope | orig-year = 1964 | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-904381-00-6 | oclc = 50215640 }}
- {{cite book | last = Halpern | first = Paul G. | title = A Naval History of World War I | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 1994 | isbn = 978-0-87021-266-6 | oclc = 28411665 }}
{{Refend}}
{{U-20 class submarines}}
{{February 1918 shipwrecks}}
{{coord missing|Mediterranean}}
{{Good article}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:U0023}}
Category:Maritime incidents in 1918
Category:U-20-class submarines
Category:U-boats commissioned in 1917
Category:U-boats sunk by Italian warships
Category:U-boats lost with all hands