SM U-27 (Austria-Hungary)

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SM U-27 was the lead boat of the Austro-Hungarian Navy’s U-27 class submarines. Built by Cantiere Navale Triestino in Monfalcone, she was launched on 19 October 1916 and commissioned on 24 February 1917.

Design and dimensions
U-27 was a small, single-hull submarine of about 264 tons surfaced (301 tons submerged). She measured roughly 121 feet 1 inch (36.9 m) in length with a beam of 14 feet 4 inches (4.37 m) and a draft of 12 feet 2 inches (3.71 m). Her propulsion consisted of two diesel engines (270 hp) for surface running and two electric motors (280 hp) for submerged travel, giving speeds of 9 knots surfaced and 7.5 knots submerged. She carried a crew of 23–24. Armament included two 45 cm bow torpedo tubes (carrying four torpedoes), a 75 mm/26 deck gun, and an 8 mm machine gun.

Service
U-27 served under two commanders: Robert Teufl von Fernland (Feb–Dec 1917) and Josef Holub (Dec 1917– Oct 1918). She sank the British destroyer Phoenix, damaged the Japanese destroyer Sakaki, and sank or captured about 34 other ships totaling around 14,325 GRT. She also participated in actions related to the Otranto Barrage and attacked multiple small vessels, as well as a few larger targets like Italian and Greek ships.

Fate
At the end of World War I, U-27 was surrendered to Italy as a war reparation in 1919 and was scrapped in 1920 at Fiume. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships describes U-27 as Austria-Hungary’s most successful submarine.