WWI U-boats

U 78

Type UE 1
ShipyardVulcan, Hamburg (Werk 60)
Ordered 9 Mar 1915
Launched 27 Feb 1916
Commissioned 20 Apr 1916
Commanders
20 Apr 1916 - 15 Jan 1918 Kptlt. Otto Dröscher (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)
16 Jan 1918 - 31 Jan 1918 Oblt. (R) Karl Thouret
1 Feb 1918 - 27 Feb 1918 Oblt. Johann Vollbrecht
1 Mar 1918 - 26 Apr 1918 Kptlt. Karl Vesper (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)
27 Apr 1918 - 24 May 1918 Kptlt. Wilhelm Meyer
25 May 1918 - 27 Oct 1918 Oblt. Johann Vollbrecht
Career 12 patrols
9 Jul 1916 - 27 Oct 1918 I Flotilla
Successes16 ships sunk with a total of 26,678 tons.
2 ships damaged with a total of 11,332 tons.
2 ships taken as prize with a total of 3,427 tons.
1 warship sunk with a total of 810 tons. (View ships hit by U 78)
Fate 27 Oct 1918 - Torpedoed by HM Sub G2 N of North Sea at 56°02'N 05°08'E. 40 dead (all hands lost).

The commonly listed sinking date of October 28, 1918 is in error. Wreck located in 2015.

There was another U 78 in World War Two
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 7 Dec 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 15 Feb 1941. Take a look at U 78 from WWII.


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