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In the peak of the First World War, the Deutschland transport submarine was reconverted into a U-Cruiser, and another six units
of this type were promptly commissioned. These were the U 151, U 152, U 153, U 154, U 155 (ex Deutschland), U 156 and U 157. They
were armed with two 150-millimeter cannons and two 88-millimeter cannons emplaced afore and abaft the conning tower. The large
hold located abaft the conning tower, used for transporting victuals, was transformed into an arsenal and the refrigeration plants
were removed. Being initially designed as mercantile vessels, these submarines did not offer good prestations as military units.
In 1916 the Deutschland effectuated two famous travels to United States as a commercial transport, but once this country
entered the war she was reconverted into the U 155, an armed submarine. To compensate her light torpedo armament, the U 155 was
later fitted with a total of six torpedo tubes, externally installed, which in the attached drawing are drawn with dashed line.
The cannons are not depicted in the drawing, but she had them like the other units in her class. Unfortunately, the large cannons
and arsenal onboard could not compensate the underpowered propulsion plant and the rather limited operational range.
Type U 151: 7 units (U 151 to U 157)
Type: Cruiser submarine
Length: 65 meters
Beam: 8.9 meters
Draught: 5.3 meters
Displacement (surfaced): 1512 tonnes
Displacement (submerged): 1875 tonnes
Propulsion: 2 x shaft, 2 x Diesel engine MWM 350 horsepower, 2 x electric motor Siemens-Schuckert 205 horsepower
Speed (surfaced): 12.7 knots (23.5 kilometers/hour)
Speed (submerged): 7.4 knots (13.7 kilometers/hour)
Range (surfaced): 3800 nautical miles (7000 kilometers) at 8 knots
Range (submerged): 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) at 4 knots
Test depth: 80 meters
Complement: 56
Armament: 2 x 500-millimeter torpedo tube (6 x torpedo tube in U 155), 18 x torpedo,
2 x 150-millimeter deck cannon (1672 rounds), 2 x 88-millimeter deck cannon (764 rounds)
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