| More information : Wreck site and archaeological remains:
Horizontal Datum: OGB
Vertical Datum: LAT
Quality of Depth: SWS
Orientation: 150/330
Method of Fix: SYL (1)
04-JUN-1918: Position 50 32 00N, 02 33 30W
22-MAR-1945: Sonar contact (position approx) 50 32 12N, 02 33 18W.
27-MAY-1952: Position 50 31 58N, 02 33 06W. Clear at 12 fathoms, foul at 13 fathoms; least depth 86 feet; extends for about 250 feet in a NE/SW direction. Lies in surrounding depths of 18 fathoms.
08-JUL-1984: Clear at 26, foul at 26.2m. Least echosounder depth 26.6 in general depth 33m. Scour 2m deep. Height 7.3m. Lying 150/330 deg. (1)
Wreck lies in 33m depth, orientated NE/SW, and has been heavily salvaged. (2)
A steel name plate marked "A Mundungsklappe", 3 sticks of cordite, a brass shell case (apparently safe), a bronze propeller fragment, and a rectangular brass fitting recovered from this wreck, off Dorset. (Droit A/4457) (5)
She lies in 34m and has been heavily salvaged. (8)(9)
She stands proud of the seabed but is badly broken up, her bell has been recovered. (10)
13.10.00 Dived in 5031.816N, 0233.430W [WGD] using DGPS. Fairlyheavily broken. Peessure hull breached.
29.12.09 Located in 5031.817N, 0233.429W [WGD] using DGPS. Least M/B depth 30.30 in general depth of 34.5m. No scour. Length 51.5m, Width 18.3m, Height 4.65m. Lies 015/195 degrees. Strong magnetic anomaly. Poor sonar contact. Intact.
Dived in 2018 by Graham Lockett. Confirmed as submarine. (12)
"Today the wreck of UB-74 makes an interesting dive. Local rumour has it that during commercial salavage operations on the wreck in the 1970s, one of UB-74's torpedoes expolded, giving the salvage team something of a shock. The wreck was quite broken up when visited by the author in 1999. Although overgrown the wreck was clearly of UBIII class. Her hull has been blasted right down to the keel in two places and her bow and stern ends have been removed." (13)
Wreck event and documentary evidence:
Sunk by depth charges off Anvil Point. Type UB III patrol submarine. (1)
On the night of 26.05, HM armed yacht LORNA was patrolling in Lyme Bay, west of Portland Bill, when a periscope was sighted 50 yards off the bow. When ten feet off the effects of a collision were felt as she passed over the conning tower, the yacht then dropping two depth charges over the stern. Whilst circling to pass over the spot again, four objects were noticed in the disturbed water caused by the depth charges, and four survivors were heard to be shouting `kamerad'. Another depth charge was dropped which killed three of the Germans, the sole survivor then being picked up covered in oil but died three hours later. A German sailor's cap complete with ribbon marked `Unterseeboots Abteilung' was recovered and left no doubt that UB74 had been sunk. (2)(4)
UB74 was operating in Lyme Bay when she was spotted by the patrol yacht LORNA, which had been warned that a U-boat was in the area. LORNA sighted UB74's periscope and dropped two depth charges as she ran over the spot. These had an immediate effect and blew a mass of wreckage, oil and air bubbles to the surface. Four men were seen swimming in the midst of the boil. However, Lorna's CO could not believe that his first pattern, dropped by eye, had had such a conclusive effect and so dropped another which killed three of the men. The fourth was dragged on board LORNA and later died, though not before confirming the identity of the boat. (3)
Launched: 12-SEP-1917 (2)(3)(4)
Commissioned: 24-OCT-1917 (2)(3)(4)
Builder: Bloom and Voss, A G Weser (2)(4)
Where built: Hamburg (7)
HP: 1110 (2)(4)
Propulsion: 2 screw driven oil engines (2)(4)
Armament: 1 x 8.8cm gun; 5 x 50cm TT (2)(4) 10.5cm deck gun, 10 torpedoes (7)
Commanding Officer: Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Steindorff (2)(4)
Crew: 35 (2)(4)
Crew Lost: 35 (2)(4) 34 (7)
Owner: German Navy (2)(4)
Type: UB Class, Mk III (7)
Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional source:
Beating the U-Boats, Keble. p142;
The U-boat, Eberhard Rossler, Arms and Armour Press 1981 p332;
Divers Guide to Weymouth and Portland. p27:
Dive Dorset, Burnett. p63;
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