Deutsches U-Boot-Museum

24th of November 1906

Austria-Hungary puts the construction of 2 U-Boats (Type "Lake") for the Austro-Hungarian Navy on order. On 12th of March 1907, building order followed for another two U-Boats (Type "Germania"), to be built in Germany. On 03rd of December 1907, building order was given for the last two of the pre-war U-Boats of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

29th of August 1909

The U-Boat SM "U-4" is commissioned, being the first U-Boat of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

28th of November 1914

5 U-Boats ("U-7" to U-11") are sold to Germany, whose construction since 1913 at the Germania Shipyard at Kiel was almost completed on the one side, a transit to the Mediterranean, however, was considered militarily being too risky on the other side.

28th of November 1914

First engagement of an Austro-Hungarian Navy U-Boat in World War I was executed by SM "U-4" by capturing the Albanian sailship "Fiore del Mare"-

20th of December 1914

The French submarine "Curie" attempts to sneak into the Austro-Hungarian Naval Base Pola, fails to pass the net barrier and sinks. Eventually, the submarine is lifted on 31st of January 1915, repaired and commissioned on 01st of June 1915 by the Austro-Hungarian Navy as SM "U-14".

21st of December 1914
In the Otranto Straits "U-12" succeeds in hitting the French armoured cruiser "Jean Bart" by torpedo causing severe damage to it.

01st of June 1915

The Austro-Hungarian Navy commissions "U-14", the former French submarine "Curie" (see 20th of December 1914). Her Commanding Officer becomes Lieutenant Baron Georg von Trapp (was before CO of "U-6" and "U-5"), who at the end of World War I was the most successful CO of the Austro-Hungarian U-Boat Force. After the was, he became even more famous as widower (1922) of 7 children, who married in 1927 the governess (Maria) of his children, when both converted their family into a "singing" family, that soon entertained a wide audience through many public gigs. When Austria "merged" with the National-Socialistic Germany in 1938, Baron von Trapp and his family immigrated to the US, to become even more famous over there. The history of the family gained unforgettable fame worldwide through two German Movies ("The Trapp Family" in 1956/57) and the well known und much liked Broadway Musical "Sound of Music" (1959).

10th of June 1915
"U-11" sinks the Italian submarine "Medusa" off Venice.

26th of June 1915
"U-10" sinks the Italian Motor Torpedo Boat "5 PN" off Venice.

18th of July 1915
"U-4" sinks the Italian armoured cruiser "Guiseppe Garibaldi" off Ragusa.

08th of August 1915
"U-5" sinks the Italian submarine "Nereide" off Pelagosa.

09th of August 1915
"U-12" hits a mine while attempting to sneak into the Venice approaches, 17 deaths.

12th/13th of August 1915

"U-3" attacks the Italian auxiliary cruiser "Città di Catania" in the Otrantro Straits and experiences severe damage while trying to ram. Next morning she is discovered by the French destroyer "Bisson" and sunk by Naval gunfire, 7 deaths.

18th of March 1916
"U-6" sinks the French destroyer "Renaudin" off Cape Laghi.

13th of May 1916

"U-6" runs into a net barrier in the Otranto Straits and is not able to come clear again. When three British destroyers were closing the crew carries out self-sinking of its U-Boat and was taken PoW by Italy eventually.

23rd of June 1916
"U-15" sinks the French destroyer "Fourche" in the Otranto Straits.

10th of July 1916
"U-17" sinks the Italian destroyer "Impetuoso" off Saseno.

17th of October 1916
"U-16" sinks the Italian destroyer "Nembo" North of Corfu. However, while surfacing again she is rammed by the merchant vessel "Borminda", which was escorted by "Nembo". Eventually, "U-16" sinks, 2 deaths, the surviving crew is taken PoW by Italy.

31st of January 1917

"U-30" leaves for another war patrol, this time in the sea areas between Malta and Crete, but nothing is heard of her anymore thereafter. The U-Boat sank probably in the Otranto Straits due to hitting a mine or experiencing a fatal technical fault, 21 deaths.

16th of May 1917

"U-5" hits a mine during a practice run in the Fasana Channel (6 deaths). The U-Boat is raised again and re-commissioned.

21st of February 1918
"U-23" is sunk by the Italian torpedo destroyer "Airone" with all crew onboard, 21 deaths.

07th of June 1918
"U-20" is sunk by 2 torpedoes of the Italian submarine "F-12" in the Tagliamento Estuary, 18th deaths

09th of July 1918
"U-10" hits a mine off Caorle and is put ashore at the nearby beach. Although the U-Boat is towed to Triest lateron, it does not reach any status of readiness thereafter.

20th of September 1918
"U-47" sinks the French submarine "Circe" off the Albanian coast.


31st of October 1918
Following the defeat of the Middle Powers at the end of World War I the surviving Austro-Hungarian Fleet is handed over initially to the newly created State of Jugoslavia. 1919/ 1920 the U-Boats were distributed as follows: : "U-1", "U-2", "U-5", "U-10", "U-11", "U-12" (after salvage)), "U-15", "U-17", "U-21", "U-27", "U-28", "U-29", "U-32", and "U-40" to Italy, "U-4", "U-22", "U-31", "U-41", "U-43" and "U-47" to France.

All U-Boats were scrapped eventually, exempt "U-14", which was returned to France and re-commissioned as "Curie" by the French Navy.

The Austro-Hungarian Navy commissioned some 27 U-Boats until the end of World War I. 7 U-Boats, i.e. one quarter of the force, were lost during war patrols. According to verified sources the Austro-Hungarian U-Boats sank a total of 108 merchantmen with 196.093 tons, the sinking of further 11 merchantmen with 41.000 tons remains unconfirmed. In addition, some 9 warships were sunk plus 4 more damaged severely (see above listings)