View source for SM UB-16

{{Short description|Type UB I submarine in the German Imperial Navy}}
{{other ships|German submarine U-16}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:German submarine SM UB-16.jpg|300px|SM ''UB-16'']]
|Ship caption=SM ''UB-16''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=[[German Empire]]
|Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
|Ship class=
|Ship name=''UB-16''
|Ship ordered=25 November 1914<ref name=UB-16>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=UB 16
|id=UB+16
|type=1sub
|access-date=19 February 2009
}}</ref>
|Ship builder=[[AG Weser]], [[Bremen]]<ref name=Tarrant-172>Tarrant, p. 172.</ref>
|Ship yard number=225<ref name=UB-16 />
|Ship laid down=21 February 1915<ref name=UB-16 />
|Ship launched=26 April 1915<ref name=UB-16 />
|Ship commissioned=12 May 1915<ref name=UB-16 />
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship struck=
|Ship fate=Torpedoed by {{HMS|E34}} on 10 May 1918<ref name=UB-16 />
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Header caption={{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=22-23}}
|Ship class=[[Type UB I submarine]]
|Ship displacement=
*{{convert|127|t|LT|abbr=on|lk=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|141|t|LT|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship length={{convert|27.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[o/a]])
|Ship beam={{convert|3.15|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|3.03|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=
*1 × [[propeller shaft (ship)|propeller shaft]]
*1 × [[Körting Hannover|Körting]] 4-cylinder [[diesel engine]], {{convert|44|kW|bhp|abbr=on|order=flip|lk=in}}
*1 × [[Siemens-Schuckert]] [[electric motor]], {{convert|89|kW|shp|order=flip|abbr=on|lk=in}}
|Ship speed=
*{{convert|7.45|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|6.24|kn}} submerged
|Ship range=
*{{convert|1500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|5|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|45|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged
|Ship test depth=
*{{convert|50|m|ft}}
|Ship complement=14
|Ship armament=
*2 × {{convert|45|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} bow [[torpedo tube]]s
*2 × torpedoes
*1 × {{convert|8|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[machine gun]]
|Ship notes=33-second diving time
}}
{{Infobox service record
|is_ship=yes
|is_multi=yes
|partof=
* [[Flanders Flotilla]]<ref name=UB-16 />
* 1 June 1915 – 10 May 1918
|codes=
|commanders=
* ''Oblt.'' Hans Valentiner<ref name=UB-16 />
* 12 May 1915 – 4 April 1916
* ''Oblt.'' [[Paul Hundius]]
* 5 April – 29 August 1916
* ''Oblt.'' Ernst Müller-Schwarz
* 30 August 1916 – 19 January 1917
* ''Oblt.'' Hans Ewald Niemer
* 20 January – 17 March 1917
* ''Oblt.'' Hugo Thielmann
* 18 March – 22 April 1917
* ''Oblt.'' Wilhelm Rhein
* 23 April – 25 August 1917
* ''Oblt.'' Günther Bachmann
* 26 August – 24 December 1917
* ''Oblt.'' Alfred Krameyer
* 25 December 1917 – 19 February 1918
* ''Oblt.'' Rudolf Stier
* 20 February – 21 April 1918
* ''Oblt.'' Vicco von der Lühe
* 22 April – 10 May 1918
|operations=87 patrols<ref name=UB-16 />
|victories=
* 24 merchant ships sunk <br>({{GRT|18,711}})<ref name=UB-16 />
* 1 warship sunk <br>(1,075 tons)
* 1 merhchant ship damaged <br>({{GRT|5,822}})
* 1 merhchant ship taken as prize <br>(Unknown GRT)
}}
|}

'''SM ''UB-16''''' was a German [[Type UB I submarine|Type UB I]] [[submarine]] or [[U-boat]] in the [[German Imperial Navy]] ({{langx|de|Kaiserliche Marine}}) during World War I. The submarine was sunk by a British submarine in May 1918.

''UB-16'' was ordered in November 1914 and was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the [[AG Weser]] shipyard in [[Bremen]] in February 1915. ''UB-16'' was a little under {{convert|28|m|ft}} in length and [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] between {{convert|127|and|141|t|LT}}, depending on whether surfaced or submerged. She carried two [[torpedo]]es for her two bow [[torpedo tube]]s and was also armed with a deck-mounted [[machine gun]]. ''UB-16'' was broken into sections and shipped by rail to [[Antwerp]] for reassembly. She was [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed in April 1915 and [[Ship commissioning|commission]]ed as SM ''UB-16'' in May.<ref group=Note>"SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" ({{langx|en|His Majesty's}}) and combined with the ''U'' for ''Unterseeboot'' would be translated as ''His Majesty's Submarine''.</ref>

''UB-16'' spent her entire career in the [[Flanders Flotilla]] and sank 24 merchant ships, about half of them British fishing vessels. The U-boat was also responsible for sinking the new British destroyer {{HMS|Recruit|1916|6}} in 1917. In 1918, ''UB-16'' was converted into a [[minelayer]] with the replacement of her torpedo tubes with four [[mine (naval)|mine]] chutes. On 10 May 1918, ''UB-16'' was torpedoed by the British submarine {{HMS|E34}} off the British east coast. Of the 16 men on board, only ''UB-16''{{'}}s commander survived the attack.

== Design and construction ==
After the [[German Army (German Empire)|German Army]]'s rapid advance along the North Sea coast in the earliest stages of World War I, the [[German Imperial Navy]] found itself without suitable submarines that could be operated in the narrow and shallow seas off [[Flanders]].<!-- advance, caught w/o equipment --><ref name=Miller-46>Miller, pp. 46–47.</ref><ref name=Karau-48>Karau, p. 48.</ref><!-- nature of waters off Flanders --> Project 34, a design effort begun in mid-August 1914,<ref name=Karau-48 /> produced the [[Type UB I submarine|Type UB I]] design: a small submarine that could be shipped by rail to a port of operations and quickly assembled. Constrained by railroad size limitations, the UB I design called for a boat about {{convert|28|m|ft}} long and displacing about {{convert|125|t|LT}} with two [[torpedo tube]]s.<ref name=Miller-46 /><ref group=Note>A further refinement of the design—replacing the torpedo tubes with [[mine (naval)|mine]] chutes but changing little else—evolved into the [[German Type UC I submarine|Type UC I]] coastal [[minelayer|minelaying]] submarine. See: Miller, p. 458.</ref>

''UB-16'' and [[sister boat]] {{SMU|UB-17||2}} comprised an order of two submarines placed on 25 November from [[AG Weser]] of [[Bremen]], a little more than three months after planning for the class began.<ref name=Miller-46 /><ref name=Williamson>Williamson, p. 12.</ref> ''UB-16'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] by Weser in Bremen on 21 February 1915.<ref name=UB-16 /> As built, ''UB-16'' was {{convert|27.88|m|ftin}} long, {{convert|3.15|m|ftin}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]], and had a [[draught (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|3.03|m|ftin}}. She had a single {{convert|44|kW|bhp|order=flip|adj=on}} [[Körting Hannover|Körting]] 4-cylinder [[diesel engine]] for surface travel, and a single {{convert|89|kW|shp|order=flip|adj=on}} [[Siemens-Schuckert]] [[electric motor]] for underwater travel, both attached to a single [[propeller shaft (ship)|propeller shaft]]. Her top speeds were {{convert|7.45|kn}}, surfaced, and {{convert|6.24|kn}}, submerged.<ref name=Tarrant-172 /> At more moderate speeds, she could sail up to {{convert|1500|nmi|lk=in}} on the surface before refueling, and up to {{convert|45|nmi}} submerged before recharging her batteries. Like all boats of the class, ''UB-16'' was rated to a diving depth of {{convert|50|m|ft}}, and could completely submerge in 33 seconds.

''UB-16'' was armed with two {{convert|45|cm|in|1|sp=us|adj=on}} [[torpedo]]es in two bow [[torpedo tube]]s. She was also outfitted for a single {{convert|8|mm|in|sp=us|adj=on}} [[machine gun]] on deck. ''UB-16''{{'}}s standard complement consisted of one officer and thirteen enlisted men.<ref name=Karau-49>Karau, p. 49.</ref>

After work on ''UB-16'' was complete at the Weser yard, she was readied for rail shipment. The process of shipping a UB I boat involved breaking the submarine down into what was essentially a [[complete knock down|knock down kit]]. Each boat was broken into approximately fifteen pieces and loaded onto eight railway [[flatcar]]s.<ref name=Karau-49 /> In early 1915, the sections of ''UB-16'' were shipped to [[Antwerp]] for assembly in what was typically a two- to three-week process. After ''UB-16'' was assembled and [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed on 26 April,<ref name=UB-16 /> she was loaded on a barge and taken through canals to [[Bruges]] where she underwent trials.<ref name=Karau-49 />

== Early career ==
The submarine was [[Ship commissioning|commission]]ed into the German Imperial Navy as SM ''UB-16'' on 12 May 1915 under the command of [[Oberleutnant zur See]] (Oblt.) Hans Valentiner,<ref name=UB-16 /> a 26-year-old first-time U-boat commander.<ref name=valentiner>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Hans Valentiner
|id=372
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref group=Note>Valentiner was in the Navy's April 1907 cadet class with 34 other future U-boat captains, including [[Werner Fürbringer]], [[Heino von Heimburg]], [[Hans Howaldt]], [[Otto Steinbrinck]], and [[Ralph Wenninger]]. See: {{cite Uboat.net
|name=Crew 4/07
|id=4%2F07
|type=1crew
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> On 1 June, ''UB-16'' joined the [[Flanders Flotilla]] ({{langx|de|U-boote des Marinekorps U-Flotille Flandern}}),<ref name=UB-16 /> which had been organized on 29 March.<ref name=Karau-49 /> When ''UB-16'' joined the flotilla, Germany was in the midst of its [[first submarine offensive]], begun in February. During this campaign, enemy vessels in the German-defined war zone ({{langx|de|Kriegsgebiet}}), which encompassed all waters around the United Kingdom, were to be sunk. Vessels of neutral countries were not to be attacked unless they definitively could be identified as enemy vessels operating under a [[false flag]].<ref name=Tarrant-14>Tarrant, p. 14.</ref>

[[File:German Submarine Zone February 1915 after Reynolds et al.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The German war zone ({{langx|de|Kriegsgebiet}}) for the [[first submarine offensive]].]]
On 3 June, two days after joining the flotilla, Valentiner and ''UB-16'' stopped and sunk three British [[smack (ship)|smack]]s — small sailing fishing vessels traditionally rigged with [[red ochre]] sails  -while patrolling  {{convert|40|and|50|nmi}} off [[Lowestoft]].<!-- dates --><ref name=UB16-ships /><ref name=Helg-3fv>Helgason, Guðmundur. {{cite Uboat.net
|id=892
|name=Boy Horace
|type=1ship
}}, {{cite Uboat.net
|id=1767
|name=E&c
|type=1ship
}}, {{cite Uboat.net
|id=1800
|name=Economy
|type=1ship
}} Retrieved 12 March 2009.</ref><!-- locations --><ref name=Pen>{{cite web | author = Penwith District Council | author-link = Penwith District Council | title = Boat Types | url = http://old.penwith.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=23907 | publisher = Penwith District Council | location = [[Penzance]] | year = 2009 | access-date = 6 March 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>—which were stopped, boarded by crewmen from ''UB-16'', and sunk with explosives.<ref name=FVWWI>{{cite web |title=British fishing vessels lost at sea due to enemy action: 1914, 1915, 1916 in date order |url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrFV1914-16.htm | work = World War 1 at Sea | publisher = Naval-History.net | date = 9 January 2009|access-date=4 March 2009 }} The information on the website is extracted from {{cite book |title=British Vessels Lost at Sea: 1914–1918 | publisher = [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]] | year = 1919 }}</ref> On 12 June, ''UB-16'' torpedoed and sank the 3,027 GRT British [[cargo ship]] ''Leuctra'' {{convert|1.5|nmi}} from the Shipwash Lightship.<ref name=leuctra>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Leuctra
|id=3584
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref name=MVWWI>{{cite web |title=British merchant vessels lost at sea due to enemy action: 1914, 1915, 1916 in date order |url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrMS1914-16.htm | work = World War 1 at Sea | publisher = Naval-History.net | date = 9 January 2009|access-date=6 March 2009 }} The information on the website is extracted from {{cite book |title=British Vessels Lost at Sea: 1914–1918 | publisher = His Majesty's Stationery Office | year = 1919 }}</ref><!-- method of attack --> Nine days later, the U-boat torpedoed the British steamer ''Tunisiana'' off Lowestoft.<ref name=tunisiana>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Tunisiana
|id=6160
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> After being hit, the 4,220 GRT ship's [[captain (nautical)|master]] beached her on Barnard Sands to save the cargo of wheat shipped from [[Montreal]], but the ship was a complete loss.<!-- details, total loss --><ref name=tunisiana /><ref>{{cite news |title=Beaches torpedoed ship |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/06/24/104648348.pdf | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = 24 June 1915|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- cargo, beaching --> ''Tunisiana '' was the largest ship sunk by ''UB-16''.<ref name=UB16-ships /> In her first month of action, ''UB-16''{{'}}s totals were five ships sunk of 7,432 GRT,<ref name=UB16-ships /> more than half of the flotilla's June total of 14,080 tons.<ref name=Tarrant-148>Tarrant, p. 148.</ref> There were no deaths on any of ''UB-16''{{'}}s June victims.<ref name=FVWWI /><ref name=MVWWI />

''UB-16''{{'}}s next two successes came on consecutive days in late July. On the 27th, ''Westward Ho!'', a 47 GRT smack was boarded and sunk by ''UB-16''{{'}}s crew {{convert|25|nmi}} southeast of Lowestoft.<!-- manner of sinking --><ref name=FVWWI /><ref name=westward_h>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Westward Ho
|id=7305
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- UB-16 --> The following day, the 1,821 GRT ''Mangara'' was torpedoed without warning one-quarter nautical mile (500 m) from the Sizewell Buoy at [[Aldeburgh]]. Eleven men died when the ship and her cargo of iron ore were sent to the bottom.<ref name=mangara>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Mangara
|id=3868
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>

Although the Flanders Flotilla sank 31 ships in August, ''UB-16'' did not add to that total. In a four-day span in September, however, she accounted for three of the eight ships sunk by the flotilla during the month.<!-- flotilla totals --><ref name=UB16-ships /><ref name=Tarrant-148 /><!-- UB16 numbers --> On the 7th, she sank two more fishing smacks, ''Emblem'' and ''Victorious'', {{convert|44|nmi}} from Lowestoft.<ref name=emblem>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Emblem
|id=7145
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref name=victorious>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Victorious
|id=6326
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref group=Note>''UB-16'' was probably patrolling with [[sister boat]] {{SMU|UB-2||2}} during this time. ''UB-2'' is credited with sinking two fishing smacks on 7 September in the same location. See: Helgason, Guðmundur. {{cite Uboat.net
|id=6732
|name=Constance
|type=1ship
}}, {{cite Uboat.net
|id=7000
|name=Emanuel
|type=1ship
}} Retrieved 12 March 2009.</ref> On 10 September, ''UB-16'' sank the 51 GRT ''Nimrod'' in the same vicinity.<ref name=nimrod>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Nimrod
|id=4400
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>

Germany's submarine offensive was suspended on 18 September by the chief of the ''[[Admiralstab]]'', Admiral [[Henning von Holtzendorff]], in response to American demands after German submarines had sunk the [[Cunard Line]] steamer {{RMS|Lusitania||2}} in May 1915 and other high-profile sinkings in August and September. Holtzendorff's directive from ordered all U-boats out of the English Channel and the [[South-Western Approaches]] and required that all submarine activity in the North Sea be conducted strictly along [[prize regulations]].<ref name=Tarrant-21>Tarrant, pp. 21–22.</ref> ''UB-16'' did not sink any vessels over the next four months,<ref name=UB16-ships /> but resumed attacks on 18 January 1916, sinking three more smacks—''Evelyn'', ''Foam Crest'', and ''Sunshine''—between {{convert|25|and|35|nmi}} from Lowestoft.<ref>Helgason, Guðmundur. {{cite Uboat.net
|id=2083
|name=Evelyn
|type=1ship
}}, {{cite Uboat.net
|id=2221
|name=Foam Crest
|type=1ship
}},	{{cite Uboat.net
|id=6947
|name=Sunshine
|type=1ship
}} Retrieved 12 March 2009.</ref>

== Second submarine offensive ==
By early 1916, the British blockade of Germany was beginning to have an effect on Germany and her imports. The Royal Navy had stopped and seized more cargo destined for Germany than the quantity of cargo sunk by German U-boats in the first submarine offensive.<ref name=Tarrant-25>Tarrant, p. 25.</ref> As a result, the German Imperial Navy began a second offensive against merchant shipping on 29 February.<ref name=Tarrant-26>Tarrant, p. 26.</ref> The final ground rules agreed upon by the German ''Admiralstab'' were that all enemy vessels in Germany's self-proclaimed war zone would be destroyed without warning, that enemy vessels outside the war zone would be destroyed only if armed, and—to avoid antagonizing the United States—that enemy passenger steamers were not to be attacked, regardless of whether in the war zone or not.<ref name=Tarrant-26 />
[[File:Paul Hundius.jpg|thumb|150px|upright|right|[[Paul Hundius]], commander of ''UB-16'' from April to August 1916]]
''UB-16''{{'}}s first successes in the new offensive came on 6 March when she sank the smacks ''Springflower'' and ''Young Harry'' about {{convert|30|nmi}} east of Lowestoft.<!-- locations --><ref name=FVWWI /><ref>Helgason, Guðmundur. {{cite Uboat.net
|id=5702
|name=Springflower
|type=1ship
}}, {{cite Uboat.net
|id=6600
|name=Young Harry
|type=1ship
}} Retrieved 12 March 2009.</ref> Valentiner and ''UB-16'' attacked another pair of ships in early April. The 653 GRT British ship ''Perth'' was torpedoed and sunk near [[Great Yarmouth|Yarmouth]] on the 1st,<ref name=perth>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Perth
|id=4756
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> while the Dutch sailing vessel ''Elziena Helena'' was sunk in an attack two days later east of [[Southwold]].<ref name=elziena_h>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Elziena Helena (d.)
|id=1929
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>

On 5 April, Valentiner was succeeded by [[Kapitänleutnant]] [[Paul Hundius]],<ref name=UB-16 /> a 27-year-old, first-time U-boat skipper.<ref name=hundius>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Paul Hundius
|id=132
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009 }}</ref><ref group=Note>[[Paul Hundius|Hundius]] was in the Navy's April 1909 cadet class with 60 other future U-boat captains, including [[Johannes Lohs]]. Three of ''UB-16''{{'}}s later commanders—Hugo Thielmann, Günther Bachmann, and Rudolf Stier—were also members of this cadet class. See: {{cite Uboat.net
|name=Crew 4/09
|id=4%2F09
|type=1crew
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> In the first two weeks under Hundius' command, ''UB-16'' sank two British steamers: the 2,978 GRT ''Robert Adamson'' on the 10th,<ref name=robert_a>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Robert Adamson
|id=5156
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> and the 3,091 GRT ''Tregantle'' on the 22nd.<ref name=tregantle>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Tregantle
|id=6092
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> ''Robert Adamson'' was sunk {{convert|3|nmi}} from the Shipwash Lightship while en route from [[Dundee]] to [[Le Havre]] with a cargo of [[pit prop|props]].<ref name=robert_a /> ''Tregantle'' had sailed from [[Galveston, Texas]], via [[Norfolk, Virginia]], with a load of wheat for [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], but was sunk off Lowestoft.<ref name=tregantle />

Near the end of April 1916, Admiral [[Reinhardt Scheer]], the newest commander-in-chief of the German [[High Seas Fleet]], called off the merchant shipping offensive and ordered all boats at sea to return, and all boats in port to remain there.<ref>Tarrant, p. 30.</ref> ''UB-16'' did not sink any more ships for the next eight months.<ref name=UB16-ships />

== Grand Fleet ambush attempts ==
[[File:SM UB2+UB6.jpg|thumb|350px|SM UB-2 and SM UB-16 in the harbor of Zeebrügge]]
In mid-May, Scheer completed plans to draw out part of the British [[Grand Fleet]].<ref name=GP-97>Gibson and Prendergast, p. 97.</ref> The German High Seas Fleet would sortie for a raid on [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]],<ref name=Tarrant-32>Tarrant, p. 32.</ref> luring the British fleet across {{"'}}nests' of submarines and mine-fields".<ref name=GP-97 /> In support of the operation, ''UB-16'' and five other Flanders boats set out at midnight 30/31 May to form a line {{convert|18|nmi}} east of Lowestoft.<ref name=Tarrant-32 /><ref group=Note>The other five boats for the May action were {{SMU|UB-6||2}}, {{SMU|UB-10||2}}, {{SMU|UB-12||2}}, ''UB-17'', and {{SMU|UB-29||2}}.</ref> This group was to intercept and attack the British light forces from [[Harwich]], should they sortie north to join the battle.<ref name=Tarrant-32 /> Unfortunately for the Germans, the [[British Admiralty]] had intelligence reports of the departure of the submarines which, coupled with an absence of attacks on shipping, aroused British suspicions.<ref name=GP-97 />

A delayed departure of the German High Seas Fleet for its sortie (which had been redirected to the [[Skagerrak]]) and the failure of several of the U-boats stationed to the north to receive the coded message warning of the British advance caused Scheer's anticipated ambush to be a "complete and disappointing failure".<ref name=Tarrant-32 /> In ''UB-16''{{'}}s group, only ''UB-10'' sighted the Harwich forces, and they were too far away to mount an attack.<ref name=Tarrant-32 /> The failure of the submarine ambush to sink any British capital ships allowed the full Grand Fleet to engage the numerically inferior High Seas Fleet in the [[Battle of Jutland]], which took place 31 May – 1 June.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 32–33.</ref>

''UB-16''{{'}}s activities over the next two months are not reported, but on 2 August the submarine was patrolling off the Mass Lightship and torpedoed the Norwegian steamer ''John Wilson'', sending her cargo of food destined for London to the bottom.<!-- cargo, location --><ref name=john_w>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=John Wilson
|id=3189
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref name=mir-john_w>{{csr|register=MSI|id=5600515|shipname=John Wilson|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- manner of attack --> Later in August, Scheer set up another ambush for the British fleet, when he drew up plans for another High Seas Fleet raid on Sunderland (as had been the original intention in May). The German fleet planned to depart late in the day on 18 August and shell military targets the next morning. As in May, ''UB-16'' was part of a group intended to attack the Harwich forces. As one of five boats forming the second line of boats from the Flanders Flotilla,<ref group=Note>The other four boats for the August action were ''UB-6'', ''UB-12'', {{SMU|UB-19||2}}, and {{SMU|UB-37||2}}.</ref> ''UB-16'' was stationed off [[Texel]] by the morning of 20 August.<ref name=Tarrant-33>Tarrant, p. 33.</ref> Once again, British intelligence had given warning of the impending attack and ambush, causing the Grand Fleet to sortie at 16:00 on 18 August, five hours before the German fleet sailed. Faulty intelligence caused Scheer initially to divert from Sunderland, and then to eventually call off the whole operation. Although U-boats to the north sank two British light cruisers,<ref group=Note>{{SMU|U-52||2}} sank {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|6}}; {{SMU|U-66||2}} and {{SMU|U-63|Germany|2}} teamed up to sink {{HMS|Falmouth|1910|6}}.</ref> ''UB-16'' and her group played no part in the action.<ref name=Tarrant-33 />

Later, on 24 August, ''UB-16'' was again patrolling off the Mass Lightship when Hundius stopped ''Velox'', another Norwegian steamer headed for London. Crewmen from ''UB-16'' boarded the 312 GRT cargo ship, planted explosives, and sank the vessel and her general cargo.<!-- location, cargo --><ref name=mir-john_v>{{csr|register=MSI|id=5615360|shipname=Velox|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref name=velox>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Velox
|id=6280
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- manner of attack --> ''Velox'' was the last ship sunk by the ''UB-16'' for nearly eight months, and the last sunk by Hundius before he was replaced by ''Oblt.'' Ernst Müller-Schwarz late in the month.<!-- replacement date for commander --><ref name=UB-16 /><ref name=UB16-ships /><!-- ship sinking chronology --><ref name=muller-schwarz>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Ernst Müller-Schwarz | id = 217 | type = 1comm|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- new commander's rank --> Neither Müller-Schwartz, nor his January 1917 replacement, ''Oblt.'' Hans Ewald Niemer, sank any ships while in command of ''UB-16''.<!-- no victories --><ref name=UB16-ships /><!-- end of cmd --><ref name=muller-schwarz /><ref name=niemer>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Hans Ewald Niemer
|id=224
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><!-- beginning of cmd -->

== Unrestricted submarine warfare ==
By the time of the so-called "turnip winter" of 1916–17, the Royal Navy blockade of Germany had severely limited imports of food and fuel into Germany.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 44–45.</ref> Among the results were an increase in [[infant mortality]] and as many as 700,000 deaths attributed to [[starvation]] or [[hypothermia]] during the war.<ref>Tarrant, p. 45.</ref> With the blockade having such dire consequences, [[Wilhelm II of Germany|Kaiser Wilhelm II]] personally approved a [[Unrestricted submarine warfare (February 1917)|resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare]] to begin on 1 February 1917 to help force the British to make peace.<ref>Tarrant, pp. 45–46.</ref> The new rules of engagement specified that no ship was to be left afloat.<ref>Tarrant, p. 46.</ref>

With the new campaign already underway, Niemer was replaced as ''UB-16''{{'}}s commander by ''Oblt.'' Hugo Thielmann on 18 March.<ref name=thielmann>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Hugo Thielmann
|id=361
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> Although only in command of ''UB-16'' for little more than a month, Thielmann sank one ship on ''UB-16''.<ref name=UB16-ships /> The 107 GRT Dutch [[motor vessel]] ''Arie'' was sunk in the Hoofden area on 20 April; there were no reports of casualties.<ref name=arie>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Arie
|id=442
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>

Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rhein was assigned to ''UB-16'' on 23 April,<ref name=rhein>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Wilhelm Rhein
|id=267
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> and under his command, ''UB-16'' may have been responsible for damaging the Norwegian cargo ship ''Kongsli'' on 26 April.<ref name=kongsli>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Kongsli (d.)
|id=3378
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>
<ref group=Note name=konglsi_note/>
On 9 August, ''UB-16'' torpedoed and sank the British destroyer {{HMS|Recruit|1916|6}} {{convert|3|nmi}} from the North Hinder Lightship. ''Recruit'', commissioned four months earlier,<ref>{{csr|register=MSI|id=6106099|shipname=Recruit|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> sank with 54 of her complement.<ref name=recruit>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Recruit (hms)
|id=5040
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref><ref group=Note>Coincidentally, the previous ''Recruit'', a destroyer launched in 1896, had been sunk by {{SMU|UB-6||2}}, a [[sister boat]] of ''UB-16'' in May 1915. See: {{cite Uboat.net
|name=Recruit (hms)
|id=7266
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> Rhein was succeeded by ''Oblt.'' Günther Bachmann on 26 August,<ref name=bachmann>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Günther Bachmann
|id=13
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> and he, in turn, was succeeded by ''Oblt.'' Alfred Krameyer on 25 December.<ref name=krameyer>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Alfred Krameyer
|id=154
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref>

== Conversion to minelayer ==
[[File:Zeebrugge Raid graphic.JPG|thumb|upright|Despite the fact that the British [[Zeebrugge Raid]] partially blocked the canal on 28 April 1918, ''UB-16'' sortied from [[Zebrugge]] the following day.]]
''UB-16'' and three sister boats, ''UB-10'', ''UB-12'', and ''UB-17'', had all been converted to [[minelayer|minelaying]] submarines by 1918. The conversion involved removing the bow section containing the pair of torpedo tubes from each U-boat and replacing it with a new bow containing four [[mine (naval)|mine]] chutes capable of carrying two mines each. In the process, the boats were lengthened to {{convert|105|ft|m}}, and the displacement increased to {{convert|147|t|LT|abbr=on}} on the surface, and {{convert|161|t|LT|abbr=on}} below the surface. Exactly when this conversion was performed on ''UB-16'' is not reported, but ''UB-12'' was at the dockyard from November 1916 to January 1917.<ref name=niemer /> The lack of reported successes by ''UB-16'' during this same span makes it a possibility that her conversion was accomplished in a similar timeframe.<!-- lack of sinkings --><ref name=UB16-ships />

On 13 March, ''UB-16'', now under the command of Oblt. Rudolf Stier,<ref name=stier>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Rudolf Stier
|id=347
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> was responsible for sinking the 895 GRT steamer ''Lisette'' near the Shipwash Lightship.<ref name=lisette>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Lisette
|id=3635
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> One month later, on 13 April, the fishing smack ''Ruth'' was boarded and sunk by ''UB-16'';<ref name=ruth>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Ruth
|id=6933
|type=1ship
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> ''Ruth'' was the final ship sunk by ''UB-16''.<ref name=UB16-ships />

On 28 April, British forces attempted to block the canal at [[Zeebrugge]] and bottle up the vessels of the Flanders Flotilla in the [[Zeebrugge Raid]]. In the raid, the British succeeded in sinking two obsolete cruisers, {{HMS|Iphigenia|1891|2}} and {{HMS|Intrepid|1891|2}}, in the narrowest part of the canal.<ref>Halpern, pp. 413–14.</ref> British admiral [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Roger Keyes]], who had planned the raid, believed that the Flanders Flotilla ships were bottled up for a long period of time.<ref name=Halp-415>Halpern, p. 415.</ref> However, the following day,<ref name=CH-308>Compton-Hall, p. 308.</ref> after the Germans had removed two piers,<ref name=Halp-415 /> ''UB-16''—under ''Oblt.'' Vicco von der Lühe,<ref name=luhe>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=Vicco von der Lühe
|id=189
|type=1comm
|access-date=12 March 2009
}}</ref> her newest commander—made the first sortie from Zeebrugge after the raid.<ref name=CH-308 />

== Sinking ==
''UB-16'' departed Zeebrugge for what would be the final time on 6 May 1918 for a patrol off Harwich. At 18:50 on 10 May, the British submarine {{HMS|E34}} spotted ''UB-16'' on the surface near Harwich. Although ''E34''{{'}}s commanding officer Lieutenant Pulleyne initially believed that ''UB-16'' was a British submarine, he submerged out of caution because of ''UB-16''{{'}}s proximity to Harwich. After identifying the submarine as a German boat, Pulleyne maneuvered to attack. At 19:15, ''E34'' launched two torpedoes at ''UB-16'' from a distance of {{convert|400|yards|m}}. The first hit ''UB-16''{{'}}s bow and failed to detonate, but the second hit below the conning tower and exploded, sinking ''UB-16'' at position {{coord|52|6|N|2|1|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} in less than five minutes. After a further five minutes, ''E34'' surfaced near where ''UB-16'' had gone down, and rescued von der Lühe from the oily water; he was the only survivor. Von der Lühe was imprisoned in a British [[prisoner of war]] camp, where he died of [[influenza]] on 1 March 1919.<ref name=Mess-UB16>Messimer, p. 135.</ref> British divers dispatched to the site of ''UB-16''{{'}}s demise a week later could only find some plating and a few pipes and concluded that ''UB-16'' had disintegrated after the torpedo hit.<ref>Grant, p. 68.</ref>

== Summary of raiding history ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"
|+Ships sunk or damaged by SM ''UB-16''<ref name=UB16-ships>{{cite Uboat.net
|name=UB 16
|id=ub16
|type=1boat
|access-date=6 March 2009
}}</ref>
! Date
! Name
! Nationality
! Tonnage<ref group=Note name=tonnage>Merchant ship tonnages are in [[gross register tons]]. Military vessels are listed by tons [[displacement (ship)|displacement]]</ref>
! Fate
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|June|3|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in June 1915#3 June|''Boy Horace'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|69
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|June|3|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in June 1915#3 June|''E&C'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|60
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|June|3|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in June 1915#3 June|''Economy'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|69
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|June|12|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in June 1915#12 June|''Leuctra'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|3,027
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|June|23|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in June 1915#23 June|''Tunisiana'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|4,220
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|July|27|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1915#27 July|''Westward Ho!'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|47
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|July|28|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1915#28 July|''Mangara'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|1,821
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|September|7|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in September 1915#7 September|''Emblem'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|50
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|September|7|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in September 1915#7 September|''Victorious'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|43
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1915|September|10|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in September 1915#10 September|''Nimrod'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|51
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|January|18|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in January 1916#18 January|''Evelyn'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|55
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|January|18|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in January 1916#18 January|''Foam Crest'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|46
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|January|18|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in January 1916#18 January|''Sunshine'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|52
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|March|6|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in March 1916#6 March|''Springflower'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|59
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|March|6|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in March 1916#6 March|''Young Harry'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|43
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|April|1|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1916#1 April|''Perth'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|653
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|April|3|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1916#3 April|''Elziena Helena'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Netherlands}}
|align="right"|121
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|April|10|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1916#10 April|''Robert Adamson'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|2,978
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|April|22|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1916#22 April|''Tregantle'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|3,091
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|June|27|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |''Z 20''
|align="left" |{{flag|Belgium|civil}}
|align="right"|Unknown
|align="left" |Captured as prize
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|August|2|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in August 1916#2 August|''John Wilson'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}
|align="right"|798
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1916|August|24|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in August 1916#24 August|''Velox'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}
|align="right"|312
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1917|April|20|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1917#20 April|''Arie'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Netherlands}}
|align="right"|107
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1917|April|26|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |''Kongsli''<ref group=Note name=konglsi_note>According to Uboat.net, ''Kongsli'' is identified as being damaged by ''UB-16'' on 26 April 1917 under the command of Kurt Siewert. According to the list of commanding officers of ''UB-16'', Wilhelm Rhein was in command of ''UB-16'' on that date. Further, Kurt Siewert is not listed as commanding officer of any U-boat until assuming command of {{SMU|UC-31||2}} on 21 July 1917.</ref>
|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}
|align="right"|5,822
|align="left" |Damaged
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1917|August|9|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |{{HMS|Recruit|1916|6}}
|align="left" |{{navy|United Kingdom}}
|align="right"|1,075
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1918|March|13|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in March 1918#13 March|''Lisette'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|895
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|{{dts|1918|April|13|format=dmy}}
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1918#13 April|''Ruth'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|44
|align="left" |Sunk
|-class="sortbottom" style="background: #f2f2f2"
|
|align="right"|'''Sunk:<br />Damaged:<br />Total:''' || '''19,786<br />5,822<br />25,608'''
|
|
|}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Bendert
|first=Harald
|title=Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal
|location=[[Hamburg]]
|publisher=[[Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH]]
|year=2000
|isbn=3-8132-0713-7
|language=de
}}
*{{cite book
|last1=Gröner
|first1=Erich
|last2=Jung
|first2=Dieter
|last3=Maass
|first3=Martin
|translator-last1=Thomas
|translator-first1=Keith
|translator-last2=Magowan
|translator-first2=Rachel
|year=1991
|title=German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
|volume=2
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-593-4
|ref=CITEREFGröner1991
}}
* {{cite book | last = Compton-Hall | first = Richard |title=Submarines at War, 1914–18 | location = [[Penzance]] | publisher= Periscope Publishing | year = 2004 | orig-year = 1991 | isbn = 978-1-904381-21-1 | oclc = 57639764 }}
* {{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 }}
* {{Gibson}}
* {{cite book | last = Grant | first = Robert M. |title=U-boat Hunters: Code Breakers, Divers and the Defeat of the U-boats, 1914–1918 | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-1-59114-889-0 | oclc = 54688427 }}
* {{cite book | last = Karau | first = Mark D. |title=Wielding the Dagger: the MarineKorps Flandern and the German War Effort, 1914–1918 | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]] | publisher = [[Praeger Publishing|Praeger]] | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-0-313-32475-8 | oclc = 51204317 }}
* {{cite book | last = Messimer | first = Dwight R. |title=Verschollen: World War I U-boat losses | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-55750-475-3 | oclc = 231973419 }}
* {{cite book | last = Miller | first = David |title=The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World | location = [[St. Paul, Minnesota]] | publisher = MBI Pub. Co | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-0-7603-1345-9 | oclc = 50208951 }}
* {{cite book | last = Tarrant | first = V. E. |title=The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945 | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 1989 | isbn = 978-0-87021-764-7 | oclc = 20338385 }}
* {{cite book | last = Williamson | first = Gordon|author-link=Gordon Williamson (writer)|title=U-boats of the Kaiser's Navy | location = [[Oxford]] | publisher = Osprey | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-84176-362-0 | oclc = 48627495 }}
{{Refend}}

{{German Type UB I submarines}}
{{May 1918 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ub016}}
[[Category:German Type UB I submarines]]
[[Category:Ships built in Bremen (state)]]
[[Category:Ships built in Belgium]]
[[Category:U-boats commissioned in 1915]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of Germany]]
[[Category:U-boats sunk by British submarines]]
[[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the North Sea]]
[[Category:U-boats sunk in 1918]]
[[Category:Submarines lost with all hands]]