SM U-16 (Austria-Hungary) - Design and Construction

Design and Construction

U-16 was a small, coastal submarine that displaced 125.5 long tons (127.5 t) surfaced and 140.25 long tons (142.50 t) submerged. She featured a single shaft, a single 60 bhp (45 kW) Daimler diesel engine for surface running, and a single 120 shp (89 kW) electric motor for submerged travel. U-16 was capable of up to 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h) while surfaced and 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h) while submerged at a diving depth of up to 50 metres (160 ft). She was designed for a crew of 17 officers and men.

U-16 was equipped with two 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes located in the front and carried a complement of two torpedoes. Although most members of the class were outfitted with a 37 mm/23 (1.5 in) quick-firing (QF) gun to supplement their armament in October 1916, it is not known whether this upgrade had yet taken place on U-16 by the time of her sinking during that month.

U-16 was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian Navy on 1 April 1915 and laid down at AG Weser in Bremen on later in the month. When completed, the submarine was broken down into sections, loaded onto railcars, and shipped on 20 August to the Austro-Hungarian Navy's main base at Pula. After completing the eight-day journey, the sections were riveted together. Though there is no specific mention of how long it took for U-16's sections to be assembled, a sister boat, the German Type UB I submarine UB-3, shipped to Pula from Germany in mid-April 1915, was assembled in about two weeks. U-16 was delivered to the Austro-Hungarian Navy on 29 September.