SMS Vulkan

SMS Vulkan was a <a href="/facts/U-boat/GgjbMzMT">U-boat</a> <a href="/facts/Salvage_tug/QlgwJshe">salvage tug</a> in the <a href="/facts/Kaiserliche_Marine/wNhU6Hlo">Kaiserliche Marine</a> laid down in 1907 and commissioned in 1908. The ship displaced 1595 tons and had a top speed of 12 knots.
The famous U-boat commander <a href="/facts/Max_Valentiner/ETMTxw3x">Max Valentiner</a> served as salvage officer on Vulkan in early 1911. On 17 January 1911, he and the crew saved all 30 men from <a href="/facts/SM_U-3_(Germany)/pJWJjPgv">U-3</a> by rescuing them via a <a href="/facts/Torpedo_tube/D0o8sNR1">torpedo tube</a> after it sank near <a href="/facts/Kiel/d08pBvnm">Kiel</a> harbour in Heikendorfer Bay because of an unclosed ventilation shaft valve. Amongst the saved crew was <a href="/facts/Otto_Weddigen/wpDWg1kS">Otto Weddigen</a>, the later commander of <a href="/facts/SM_U-9/PvQcgwea">U-9</a> and Paul Clarrendorf, the commander of U-boot-Abnahme-Kommando in Kiel which enlisted U-boat crews.

Vulkan is also famous for salvaging two U-boats, <a href="/facts/SM_U-30_(Germany)/dTlbp5no">U-30</a> on 27 August 1915 and <a href="/facts/SM_UC-45/IEIr0SlB">UC-45</a> on 17 September 1917.
At the end of World War One on 11 November 1918 the vessel surrendered to the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">British</a> forces together with the larger salvage tug SMS Cyclop. It sank en route to <a href="/facts/Harwich/0TI3kooM">Harwich</a> on 6 April 1919 in position <a href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=SMS_Vulkan¶ms=54_54_N_06_18_E_scale:10000000">54°54′N 06°18′E / 54.900°N 6.300°E / 54.900; 6.300</a>.

SMS Vulkan open-in-new

SMS Vulkan