Weymouth & Portland · United Kingdom · Wreck
UB-74
A First World War U-boat at 34 m with congers in the hull
Area photo: Jacko · CC BY-SA 2.0
UB-74 was a German UB III-class submarine, 55 m long (182 ft), depth-charged and sunk off Portland by the armed yacht Lorna on 26 May 1918. The wreck sits at 34 m, and conger eels living in the double skin of the hull are the detail divers come back with. Boats run to her when the tides allow rather than on any given day.
Also known as SM UB-74.
Where it is and how deep
50.5200° N, 2.5448° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck sits at 34 m, and the dive is a straight descent to the hull followed by a pass along its length and back. UB-74 was a UB III-class boat of 55 m (182 ft), small enough that a single circuit covers her if the shot lands well. Depth and tide shape the plan more than the wreck does: this is a site the boats run to when the tides allow, and the bottom time is booked before you get in.
Work slowly along the plating and look into the double skin of the hull, where conger eels live. There is no cargo and no superstructure to speak of, so the interest is the shape of a 1918 submarine and what has moved into it, and the dive stays outside the hull. She was sunk by a depth charge from the armed yacht Lorna, and the ascent is back up the shotline.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SM UB-74
- Type
- German UB III-class submarine
- Length
- 55 m (180 ft)
- Sunk
- 1918
- Cause
- Depth-charged by the armed yacht Lorna
- Lies
- On the seabed at 34 m off Portland
UB-74 was a German UB III-class submarine, 55 m long (182 ft). She was sunk off Portland on 26 May 1918 by a depth charge from the armed yacht Lorna. The wreck has lain on the seabed at 34 m since, and conger eels now live in the double skin of her hull. Portland charter boats dive her when the tides allow.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Weymouth & Portland: Sea temperature runs from about 7 °C in February to 17 °C in August; winter gales off the Atlantic rather than the cold are what stop the boats.
Know before you go
- The site can only be dived when the tides allow, so the dive is timed to the tide table and finished on the shotline.
Sources
- UB-74 (Wreck) - Scubago — Scubago
- SM UB-74 — Wikipedia
- Dive Sites — Dive Beyond
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