UB-148

UB—148

(Former German Submarine: dp. 523 (surf.), 663 (subm.); 1. 182'; b. 19'; dr. 12'; s. 13.6 k. (surf.), 8k. (subm.); cpl. 34; a. 6 20" tt., 1 3.4"; cl. UB

UB-148—a UB.III series, small, coastal submarine— was laid down during the winter of 1917 and 1918 at Bremen, Germany, by Aktiengesellechaft t Weser; launched on 7 August 1918; but never commissioned in the Imperial German Navy. She was completing preparations for commissioning when the armistice of 11 November ended hostilities. Two days later, she was interned at the Swedish naval base located at Karlskrona, Sweden, to await her fate.

By the terms of the armistice, Germany was required to destroy her aircraft and submarines or surrender them to the Allies. On 26 November, UB-148 was surrendered to the British at Harwich, England. Later, when the United States Navy expressed an interest in aeauiring several former U-boats, to use in conjunction with a Victory Bond drive, UB-148 was one of the six boats allocated for that purpose. Her American crew, sent to England early in March 1919, took her over later that month, began preparing her for the voyage to America, and placed her in commission Lt. Comdr. Harold T. Smith in command.

The U-boat departed England on 3 April 1919 in company with Bushnell (Submarine Tender No. 2) and three other submarines-U-117, UB-88, and UC-97. That task organization, the Ex-German Submarine Expeditionary Force, steamed via the Azores and Bermuda to New York, where it arrived on 27 April. After a period of repairs, the submarines were opened

for visits by the public. Tourists, reporters and photographers joined Navy technicians and civilian shipbuilders in swarming over UB-148 and the other submarines. Following that, UB-148 received instructions to call at ports along the east coast of the United States in the immediate vicinity of New York City in conjunction with the bond drive. At the conclusion of the drive that summer, she and U-111 were subjected to extensive tests and trials to evaluate their performance capability. When that experimentation ended, she joined U-117 and U-140 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where they were laid up pending final disposition. She was dismantled at Philadelphia; and, during the summer of 1921, her hulk was used in gunnery and aerial bombing tests conducted off the east coast. Following those tests, UB-148 was sunk by gunfire from Sicard (DD-346).