SM U-17 (Germany)

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SM U-17 was a German submarine that fought in World War I. It was built at the Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig, launched in 1912 and commissioned later that year. It served with the German U-boat fleet and began the war with the II Flotilla.

During its service, U-17 sank 11 merchant ships, damaged one, and captured two more. It was credited with sinking the first British merchant vessel of the war and carried out several notable patrols.

Commanders:
- Oberleutnant zur See Johannes Feldkirchener: 1 August 1914 – 7 March 1915
- Kapitänleutnant Hans Walther: 2 March 1915 – 9 January 1916

Notable actions:
- 20 October 1914: Stopped and scuttled the 866-ton SS Glitra off the Norwegian coast after taking the crew off the ship.
- 26 October 1914: Torpedoed the French ferry SS Amiral Ganteaume in the Strait of Dover; about 40 lives were lost.
- 12 June 1915: Torpedoed the SS Desabla off Scotland; the crew escaped and the ship sank.

From January 1916, U-17 spent time with the Training Flotilla and remained in service until the end of the war.

Fate:
U-17 was decommissioned (stricken) on 27 January 1919 and scrapped at Kiel. Its pressure hull was sold to the Hamburg company Stinnes on 3 February 1920.

Technical snapshot:
- Type: U-17 submarine
- Displacement: about 564 tons surfaced, 691 tons submerged
- Length: about 62 meters
- Propulsion: diesel-like engines on the surface and electric motors underwater
- Speed: about 15 knots surfaced, 9.5 knots submerged
- Range: about 6,700 nautical miles at 8 knots (surfaced)
- Armament: four torpedo tubes (six torpedoes total) and light deck guns
- Crew: 4 officers and 25 men