SM U-79

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-79.

U-79 in Cherbourg after the war, around 1920, together with U-105 and UB-94
History
German Empire
Name	U-79
Ordered	6 January 1915
Builder	AG Vulkan, Hamburg
Yard number	61
Launched	31 October 1915
Commissioned	26 January 1916
Fate	Surrendered to France, 21 November 1918
France
Name	Victor Réveille
Acquired	21 November 1918
Fate	Broken up in 1933 or 1935
General characteristics
Class and type	German Type UE I submarine
Displacement	755 t (743 long tons) surfaced 832 t (819 long tons) submerged
Length	56.80 m (186 ft 4 in) (o/a) 46.66 m (153 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	5.90 m (19 ft 4 in) (o/a) 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in) (pressure hull)
Height	8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
Draught	4.86 m (15 ft 11 in)
Installed power	2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) surfaced 2 × 900 PS (662 kW; 888 shp) submerged
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2× 1.41 m (4 ft 8 in) propellers
Speed	9.9 knots (18.3 km/h; 11.4 mph) surfaced 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph) submerged
Range	7,880 nmi (14,590 km; 9,070 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced 83 nmi (154 km; 96 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement	4 officers, 28 enlisted
Armament	2 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (one starboard bow, one starbord stern) 4 torpedoes 1 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) deck guns
Service record
Part of:	I Flottille (30 July 1916 – 11 November 1918)
Commanders:	Kptlt. Heinrich Jeß (25 May 1916 – 20 February 1917) Kptlt. Otto Rohrbeck (21 February – 26 October 1917) Kptlt. Otto Dröscher (27 October – 23 November 1917) Oblt.z.S. Karl Thouret (24 November 1917 – 15 April 1918) Oblt.z.S. Rudolf (i.V.) Zentner (16 April – 17 August 1918) Oblt.z.S. Martin Hoffmann (18–26 August 1918) Lt.z.S. Rudolf (i.V.) Haagen (27 August – 15 September 1918) Kptlt. Woldemar Petri (16 September – 14 October 1918) Oblt.z.S. Kurt Slevogt (15 October – 11 November 1918)
Operations:	11 patrols
Victories:	21 commercial ships sunk (34,030 GRT) 2 commercial ship damaged (7,474 GRT) 1 commercial ship taken as prize (1,125 GRT) 1 warship sunk (14,300 GRT) 1 warship damaged (790 GRT)

SM U-79 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy (Imperial German Navy) in World War I. U-79 was engaged in the combat in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

After the war she was transferred to the French Navy, in which she served as Victor Réveille.

Imperial German Navy

SM U-79 was commissioned by Kaptlt. Jess, who was replaced by Kaptlt. Rohrbeck in January 1917. Rohrbeck would be replaced by Kaptlt. Stevogt. U-79 came off the stocks at Hamburg (Vulcan) in 1916, and joined the Kiel School, where she is known to have been in July, and left Kiel for Wilhelmshaven about the end of July to join the 1st Half Flotilla.

Between 6 and 26 August 1916, she laid 34 mines off the south coast of Ireland. She fired on a special service vessel north-west of Ireland on the night of 19 August; the torpedo missed. In the period 26 September to 14 October 1916, she laid mines in the Firth of Clyde.

Patrolling off Portugal, via the English Channel, between 21 December 1916 and 28 January 1917, she sank eight steamers and one sailing ship, as well as capturing the Norwegian steamer Nanna on 24 January. On her return journey, by way of the Irish Channel, U-79 compelled Nanna to take her under tow to the Danish coast, likely as a result of engine damage she reported 26 January.

On 1 April 1917, she departed to lay mines in Inishtrahull Sound, but could not complete her task due to engine trouble, and returned on 21 April. She made three more minelaying patrols in 1917, one off the Butt of Lewis between 6 June and 4 July; one in Rathlin Sound and off Inishtrahull Island, between 12 September and 15 October, during which she also sank the armoured cruiser HMS Drake off Rathlin Island, 11 October, avoiding Heligoland Bight (per a 10 October general order) on her return; and one between 17 and 20 December, off the Dutch coast, transiting Heligoland Bight inbound and outbound on this occasion. She departed for a repeat of this mission 1 January 1918, but was forced to return 5 January due to compass trouble.

She carried out training off Augustenhof Lighthouse, in the Baltic Sea, from 5 to 9 February, before departing on her next patrol, to lay mines off the Netherlands, returning 19 February, again avoiding Heligoland.

British Naval Intelligence (better known as Room 40) records her at Norderney on 2 May 1918, and possibly in the Elbe on 9 November. On 21 November 1918, she was surrendered at Harwich.

Original documents from Room 40

The following is a verbatim transcription of the recorded activities of SM U-79 known to British Naval Intelligence, Room 40 O.B.:SM U-79.

Kaptlt. Jess, to U-96 in January 1917, Kaptlt. Rohrbeck; then Kaptlt. Stevogt. Came off the stocks at Hamburg (Vulcan) in 1916, joined the Kiel School, where she is known to have been in July, and left Kiel for Wilhelmshaven about the end of July to join the 1st Half Flotilla.

• 6th August – 26th August 1916. Went northabout, and laid 34 mines off the S. coast of Ireland. She missed by torpedo a special service vessel N.W. of Ireland on the night of 19th of August
• 26th September – 14th October 1916. Northabout. Laid mines in the Firth of Clyde.
• 21st December 1916 – 28th January 1917. Went via the Channel to west of Portugal and probably went through the Irish Channel on return journey. Sank 8 S.S., 1 sailing vessel. On the 24th January captured Norwegian S.S. NANNA and made her tow her to Danish coast. On the 26th submarine reported engine damage.
• 1st April – 21st April 1917. Northabout. Laid mines in Inishtrahull Sound, but could not complete her task owing to engine damage.
• 6th June – 4th July 1917. Northabout. Laid mines off Butt of Lewis.
• 12th September – 15th October 1917. Northabout. Laid mines near Inishtrahull and in Rathlin Sound. Sank HMS Drake off Rathlin Island on the 11th October (Note. This submarine returned by the Sound, instead of the Bight, in accordance with the general order of 10th October 1917).
• 17th December – 20th December 1917. Left by the Bight, laid mines off the Dutch coast and returned to Bight.
• 1st January – 5th January 1918. Same as previous cruise. Returned with compass defect.
• 5th February – 9th February 1918. Was practising at Augustenhof Lighthouse (Baltic).
• ? 10th February – 19th February 1918. Mines off the Dutch coast. Out by Belts, back by Sound.
• After this cruise she is mentioned as at Norderney on the 2nd May, and possibly in the Elbe on the 9th November. On the 21st November 1918 was surrendered at Harwich."

Note:
S.S. = Steam Ship
S.V. = Sailing Vessel
Northabout, Muckle Flugga, Fair I. = around Scotland
Sound, Belts, Kattegat = via North of Denmark to/from German Baltic ports
Bight = to/from German North Sea ports
Success = sinking of ships

Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate
14 September 1916	Counsellor	United Kingdom	4,958	Sunk
26 December 1916	Johan	Denmark	828	Sunk
27 December 1916	Copsewood	United Kingdom	599	Sunk
27 December 1916	Ida	Norway	1,300	Sunk
30 December 1916	Danmark	Denmark	1,875	Sunk
1 January 1917	Laupar	Norway	1,407	Sunk
2 January 1917	Older	Norway	2,256	Sunk
3 January 1917	Angela	Kingdom of Italy	2,422	Sunk
3 January 1917	Valladares	Portugal	124	Sunk
4 January 1917	Chinto Maru	Japan	2,592	Sunk
10 January 1917	Brookwood	United Kingdom	3,093	Sunk
24 January 1917	Nanna	Norway	1,125	Captured as a prize
14 June 1917	Carthaginian	United Kingdom	4,444	Sunk
22 June 1917	Maggie	Norway	1,118	Sunk
23 June 1917	HMT Corientes	Royal Navy	280	Sunk
26 June 1917	HMT Charles Astie	Royal Navy	295	Sunk
26 June 1917	Serapis	United Kingdom	1,932	Sunk
30 June 1917	Bröderna	Sweden	39	Sunk
30 June 1917	Lancaster	Sweden	77	Sunk
30 June 1917	Preceptor	Sweden	55	Sunk
13 August 1917	Camito	United Kingdom	6,611	Damaged
2 October 1917	HMS Brisk	Royal Navy	790	Damaged
2 October 1917	HMS Drake	Royal Navy	14,300	Sunk
2 October 1917	Lugano	United Kingdom	3,810	Sunk
23 October 1917	HMT Earl Lennox	Royal Navy	226	Sunk
12 January 1918	Caledonia	Netherlands	863	Damaged
15 January 1918	Westpolder	Netherlands	749	Sunk

French Navy

After she surrendered, U-79 was transferred to France as a war prize. She served in the French Navy with the name Victor Réveille.

On 23 November 1923, Victor Réveille ran aground at Boulogne, Pas de Calais, France. She was refloated, repaired, and returned to service.

Sources differ on Victor Réveille′s final disposition. Some state that she was scrapped in 1933. According to others, she was stricken on 29 July 1935, and subsequently scrapped that year.

See also

• Room 40

Bibliography

• Gardiner, Robert (1985). Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1906-1921. New York: Mayflower Books. ISBN 0-8317-0303-2.
• Gardiner, Robert (1985). Conway′s All the World′s Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
• Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |last-author-amp= (help)
• Spindler, Arno (1966) [1932]. Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten. 5 Vols. Berlin: Mittler & Sohn. Vols. 4+5, dealing with 1917+18, are very hard to find: Guildhall Library, London, has them all, also Vol. 1-3 in an English translation: The submarine war against commerce. {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
• Beesly, Patrick (1982). Room 40: British Naval Intelligence 1914-1918. London: H Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-10864-2.
• Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-85728-498-0.
• Roessler, Eberhard (1997). Die Unterseeboote der Kaiserlichen Marine. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-5963-7.
• Schroeder, Joachim (2002). Die U-Boote des Kaisers. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 978-3-7637-6235-4.
• Koerver, Hans Joachim (2008). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol I., The Fleet in Action. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-76-3.
• Koerver, Hans Joachim (2009). Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918. Vol II., The Fleet in Being. Steinbach: LIS Reinisch. ISBN 978-3-902433-77-0.

External links

• Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918.
• A 44 min. German film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
• Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 79". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
• Room 40: original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British Room 40 Intelligence from The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, UK.