SM U-72
Introduction '''SM ''U-72''''' was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. ''U-72'' was engaged in the commerce war in First Battle of the Atlantic.
Design German Type UE I submarines were preceded by the longer Type U 66 submarines. ''U-72'' had a displacement of  when at the surface and  while submerged. She had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two  engines for use while surfaced, and two  engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to .The submarine had a maximum surface speed of  and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for  at ; when surfaced, she could travel  at . ''U-72'' was fitted with two  torpedo tubes (one at the port bow and one starboard stern), four torpedoes, and one  deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-two (twenty-eight crew members and four officers).
Operations ''U-72'' left the stocks at Hamburg (AG Vulcan) in March 1916, joined the Kiel School, and first entered North Sea on 11 April 1916.Attached 1st Half Flotilla, under the command of ''Kaptlt''. Krafft. *15–21 April 1916.Cruise in North Sea. Returned with defects. *23–2 May 1916.? Cruise in North Sea. *21 June to 4 July 1916.Northabout. Laid mines off Cape Wrath. *20 August - ? 15 September 1916.Northabout to Mediterranean. Laid mines off Lisbon, Oran and Cape Blanc. On arriving at Cattaro joined the Pola-Cattaro Flotilla. *Of ''U-72''s operations in the Mediterranean, little is known after her arrival in September 1916. *On a cruise from the middle of February 1917 until 6 March 1917, she sank 4 steamers and stopped British hospital ship, ''Dunluce Castle''. She damaged  and was later unsuccessfully attacked by armed trawlers. *''U-72'' was reported as not having cruised, with the above exception, after January 1917, and was regarded as a lame duck. Indeed of her class, ''U-71'' to ''U-80'' (all minelayers), ''U-80'' was the only boat not continually in dockyard hands. At the end of October 1918, ''U-72'' was blown up at evacuation of Cattaro.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageFate7 September 1916''Achaia''2,733Sunk7 September 1916''Hiso''1,562Sunk7 September 1916HMS ''Doreen''9Sunk7 September 1916HMS ''Allegro''7Sunk7 September 1916HMS ''Griffin''10Sunk7 September 1916HMS ''Puffin''UnknownDamaged19 November 1916''Maria Di Pompei''286Sunk23 November 1916''Margherita F.''44Sunk26 November 1916''Christoforos''3,674Sunk27 November 1916''Salvatore Ciampa''1,728Sunk2 December 1916''Palermo''9,203Sunk11 December 1916''Jeanne''534Sunk14 December 1916''Caledonia''7,572Damaged3 June 1917''Manin B. ''249Sunk7 June 1917''Errington Court''4,461Damaged8 June 1917''Cheltonian''4,426Sunk8 June 1917''Felicina''165Sunk9 June 1917''Bravore''1,650Sunk9 June 1917''General Laurie''238Sunk9 June 1917''Montebello''2,603Sunk13 June 1917''Santo''622Sunk13 June 1917''Biagio''276Sunk25 June 1917''Southern''5,694Damaged7 July 1917''Shigizan Maru''2,828Sunk1 August 1917''Rokeby''3,786Damaged4 August 1917''British Monarch''5,749Sunk
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