| More information : Prior History:
SM UB-107 was a German Type UB III submarine built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, for the Imperial German Army in 1917. Ordered on 23 September 1916, or 6 / 8 February 1917 (sources vary), UB-107 launched on 21 July 1917 and was commissioned on 16 February 1918, under the command of Kptlt. Eberhard von Prittwitz und Gaffron. She carried a crew of 34, and was armed with five torpedo tubes, ten torpedoes and one 8.8 cm deck gun. Part of the Flandern II Flotilla, the U-boat undertook four patrols, sinking eleven merchant ships in total (26,147 GRT).
Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:
Vertical Datum: LAT
Horizontal Datum: OGB
Quality of Depth: ES
20-MAY-1987: Located by local divers, while recovering pots for fishermen, lying under the wreckage of the MALVINA (q.v.). Identified by engraved number on propeller. (A Godfrey, 11-FEB-1987) (1)
The wreck of this German submarine now lies in what is possibly a unique location, being partially embedded into the wreck of the SS MALVINA, despite the fact that the submarine sank first, the steamship five days later.
In 1985 a group of sport divers found the wreck of a submarine, with the number UB-107 engraved on her two bronze propellers, the remains of the U-Boat being entangled with the SS MALVINA. The circumstances will never really be known. (4)
'In 1985, the wreck of a UB-III class submarine was discovered by accident by divers who were going down to free some lobsterpots. Funilly7 enough they dived on the wreck of SS MALVINA, which was sunk on 2 August 1918. It was not only SS MALVINA which had been discovered by chance, but also tha tof UB-107 which lay partly under the stern of the merchant ship! The wreck lies in position 54° 08′ 350 N 00° 04' 742 W, about 1.2 miles to the north of Flamborough Head, a large distance from the original position. It could be that UB-107 had torpedoed SS MALVINA on 2 August or had hit a mine, whereby the sinking SS MALVINA had ended up on top of the wreck of UB-107. Both wrecks lie on a hard, sandy bottom with a general depth of 26 m. The 1,244 ton MALVINA is broken in two and part of the U-boat lies beneath the engine room segment of the merchant ship.' (16, derived from source 17)
A periscope recovered from a wreck thought to be UB-107, position 54 08.06N 000 04.42W. (Droit A/3132) (5)
Divers in recent years have discovered the wreck of UB-107, identified by markings on her propellers, off Flamborough Head, underlying the remains of the MALVINA. (6)
Located immediately east of Flamborough Head. (7)
30-APR-1998: Wreck lies in 540821N, 000444.5W (WGD) by GPS. The least depth is 22m, in a general depth of 26m.
02-AUG-2011: Located in 5408.340N, 0004.736W (WGD). The least multibeam depth is 20.98m.
12-OCT-2011: Length 58m. Width 40m. Height 5m. The wreck is orientated 100/280 degrees, with wreckage extending to the NE over its east end. Probably two boilers lie at the NE end of the wreckage. (8)(9)
Charted as 'UB 107 & MALVINA (AFTER PART)' by the UKHO. (8)(9)
U boat to the north of Flamborough Head, in position 54 08.341N 000 04.814W. This vessel is laying together with another wreck that is in three sections- stern, midships and bow. The submarine lies close up to the aft end of the midship section on the starboard side. (10)
This site has been designated as a Protected Place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, Statutory Instrument 2019 No.1191. (18)
Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:
UB-107: Sunk by depth charges by trawlers CALVIA and VANESSA, 1918. (1)
28-JUL-1918: Sunk in approximate position 54 23 30N, 000 24 20W. (1)
Sighted by an ML off Scarborough, UB-107 was hunted relentlessly by an ad hoc group of trawlers and MLs reinforced by the destroyer HMS VANESSA. In bad weather on the evening of the 27th, UB-107 broached in full view of the trawler CALVIA. Three trawlers dropped a number of depth charges, after which oil came to the surface, together with large air bubbles. The ships remained in the location overnight and the next morning VANESSA recovered the headless body of a man in German uniform. (2)
Because there were no survivors from either vessel [UB-107 or MALVINA], we can only speculate as to what terrible events took place on that day...it seems likely that they went down together. It is conceivable that the stricken U-Boat might have collided with the wreck a day or two after MALVINA's sinking, but this seems less likely. The two wrecks are...lying more or less at right angles to one another, with the U-Boat disappearing into the steamer near the engines of the latter...This U-Boat had earlier sunk CHLORIS, JOHN RETTIG, CRIMDON and KALO off the Yorkshire coast. (3)
After sailing from Zeebrugge on 26-JUL on her third war patrol that year, the first two being totally unsuccessful in terms of shipping sunk, the UB-107 was sighted on the surface off Robin Hood's Bay by the armed trawler HMS CALVIA, which radioed for assistance, bringing HM yacht VANESSA into the area, which dropped a pattern of depth charges. These must have exploded very close to the submarine, since shortly after a great deal of oil, bubbles and wreckage came to the surface, and the following day the CALVIA...found a headless body...which was taken as proof by both sides, that the UB-107 was lost. (4)
Source (4) states the date of loss as 02-AUG-1918.
The wreck of this vessel has been located several miles from the position originally given. Previously recorded as having been depth-charged on 27-JUL-1918 by CALVIS and VANESSA II at 54 23N 000 24W, but it is now thought that UB-107 was not the vessel attacked on that occasion. It is still thought that UB-107 was the only vessel which could have been responsible for the loss of the CHLORIS and JOHN RETTIG 2.5 hours later, in position 53 52N 000 10E. The MALVINA under which UB-107 lies was torpedoed and sunk by UB-104 on August 3, 1918. UB-107 may have either suffered an accident or was lost to a British mine.
Type UB III submarine, sunk by unknown cause 1 mile north of Flamborough Head in 54 08N 000 00W, between 28-JUL and 03-AUG-1918, with the loss of all 38 hands. (6)
NB: The record for the MALVINA [q.v.] states that that vessel was lost on 02-AUG-1918.
'The first recorded fate of UB-107 was noted as sunk by depth charge on July 27, 1918 by the Royal Navy trawler Calvis and HMY Vanessa II at position 57°23′N 00°24′W. It has since been argued that the UB-107 was probably not present for the attack by Calvis and Vanessa II as it was the only U-boat that could have been responsible for the sinking of steamers Chloris and John Rettig two and a half hours later at position 53°52′N 00°10′E.
In 1985 divers discovered the wreck of UB-107 one mile north of Flamborough Head at position 54°08′N 00°00′W entangled with another wreck, the SS Malvina, a British steamer torpedoed and sunk on 3 August 1918 reported as being by UB-104, though UB-104's record says it was not in the area nor that it attacked a ship on that day. UB-107 was identified by the markings on her propellers. It is suggested that either UB-107 suffered an accident of some sort or was lost on a British mine between July 28 and August 3, 1918 leaving all hands lost (38 dead).' (12)
'Sighted by an ML off Scarborough, UB107 was hunted relentlessly by an ad hoc group of trawlers and MLs reinforced by the destroyer HMS Vanessa. In bad weather on the evening of the 27th, UB107 broached in full view of the trawler CALVIA. Three trawlers dropped a number orf depth charges, after which oil came to the surface together with large air bubbles. The ships remained in the location overnight and the next morning VANESSA recovered the headless body of a man in German uniform.' (15)
'On 26 July 1917, UB-107 left on her final patrol and would be lost with all hands. According to British sources she had been spotted by a motorlaunch off Scarborough. Around 21h00 on 27 July, the trawler CALVIS and the destroyer HMS VANESSA discovered UB-107 to the southeast of Whitby in position 54° 23′ N 00° 24′ E. She lay surfaced and both British ships set full speed towards her. UB-107 managed to spot them and dive, but was attacked with a rain of depth charges. During the following two hours the hunt for UB-107 was started with hydrophone and depth charges. Not much later oil and air bubbles came to the surface not far from the position where UB-107 had been seen for the first time. The next morning a trawler recovered the headless corpse of a sailor. This was the version from the British Admiralty concerning the sinking of UB-107, but no UB-III class U-boat has been found in the area.' (16)
Class and Type: German Type UB III submarine (6)
Built: 1917 (4)
Ordered: 23 September 1916 (6) 6 / 8 February 1917 (13)
Launched: 21 July 1917 (14)
Commissioned: 16 February 1918 (6)(14)
Builder: Blohm & Voss (6)
Where Built: Hamburg (Yard number 313) (6)
Propulsion: 2 x screw driven oil engines (4)
HP: 1100 (4)
Armament: 1 x 8.8cm gun; 4 x bow TT; 1 stern TT (4)
Unit: Flandern II Flotilla (6)
Commanding Officer: Kapitaleutnant von Prittwitz und Gaffron (4); Eberhard von Prittwitz und Gaffron (4)
Crew: 34 (5); 38 (2)(6)
Crew Lost: all [all sources]
Owner: German Navy [all sources]
Cost: 3,714,000 German Papiermark (12)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
TUB. p332; BUB.p150; SUB.p122; SYC.p32
Fate: 4 Aug 1918 - Sunk by unknown cause one mile north of Flamborough Head at position 54 08N, 00 00W, between July 28 and August 3, 1918.. 38 dead (all hands lost).
The wreck of this boat has been located, but in a location miles from where it was supposedly sunk. (6)
Previously recorded fate
'Depth charged on July 27, 1918 by the RN trawler CALVIS and yacht VANESSA II at position 5423N, 0024W. In fact, UB 107 probably was not present for this attack.
UB 107 was, however, the only U-boat that could have been responsible for the sinking of the steamers CHLORIS and JOHN RETTIG two and a half hours later at position 5352N, 0010E. Divers in recent years discovered the wreck of UB 107, which was identified by markings on the propellers, off Flamborough Head together with (under) what remains of the steamer MALVINA. The Malvina was torpedoed and sunk by UB 104 on August 3, 1918. UB 107 apparently either suffered an accident of some sort or was lost on a British mine.' (6)
Television:
The fate of UB-107 was the subject of an episode of the documentary television series Deep Sea Detectives: "Mystery U-Boat of WWI". The documentary offered various scenarios for the sinking based on historical evidence and exploratory diving at the wreck site.
The programmed aired Tuesday 8:00 PM Oct 25, 2004 on The History Channel (11)
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