Unterseeboot 4
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Unterseeboot 4 refers to three submarines of the German Navies: UB 4 (Type UB I) of the Kaiserliche Marine, U4 (Type IIA) of the Kriegsmarine and U4 (Type 205) of the Bundesmarine.
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Kaiserliche Marine
The first Unterseeboot 4 (UB 4) was commissioned March 23, 1915 in Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel, Germany. She served in World War I under the command of Leutnant zur See Karl Groß, sinking 3 ships for a total of 10,833 tons on 14 patrols. One of these was the Harpalyce, torpedoed between Harwich and the Hook of Holland. At the time she was engaged in work for "Belgian Relief" and marked out with a white flag and white patches showing the same and under a pass of "safe conduct" from the German authorities. She was torpedoed without warning and sank quickly with the loss of 15 crew. In August 1915, near Great Yarmouth, UB-4 approached a fishing fleet presumably to attack it. One of the unpowered sailing ships was, in fact, a Q-ship. His Majesty's Armed Smack Inverlyon was a fishing vessel equipped with a small 3 pounder (47 mm) gun. The British crew put 9 rounds from the 3-pdr and small arms fire into UB 4 at close range sinking her with the loss of all hands depsite the attempt of the Smacks skipper to rescue one German submariner. The submarine was caught in the fishing gear and salvage considered but cut free to sink. The Inverlyons gunner was awarded the DSO for his action.
Kriegsmarine
The second Unterseeboot 4 (U4)'s keel was laid February 11, 1935, and was commissioned August 17, 1935 by Oberleutnant zur See Hannes Weingärtner. As a IIA boat, U4 was intended mostly for training purposes, but did see some wartime patrols, sinking three cargo ships for 5,133 tons and one warship for 1,090 tons on two war patrols. On July 1, 1940, U 4 was permanently transferred to the 21 Unterseebootsflottille (Unterseebootsschulflottille), and served until 1944 as a training vessel. She was stricken August 1, 1944 at Gotenhafen, and scrapped in 1945.
Bundesmarine
The third U4 was built by Howaldtswerke, Kiel. She was the first submarine of the Type 205 class. She was commissioned November 191962 and serviced until August 11974 with the pennant number S183. After her decommisionioning she was scrapped.