SM UC-48

SM UC-48 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. Commissioned on August 18, 1916, she was primarily employed to lay mines in enemy waters, disrupting shipping and posing a threat to Allied vessels.

UC-48's operational history involved deploying mines off the coasts of England and France. These mines were responsible for the sinking or damaging of numerous Allied ships, both merchant vessels and warships. The submarine itself was equipped with six mine tubes and carried approximately 18 mines.

On January 18, 1917, UC-48 was sunk in the English Channel off the coast of France by the British patrol boat HMS Buttercup. There were no survivors. The wreck remains a designated war grave. The sinking of UC-48 contributed to the overall attrition of German U-boats during the war and lessened the impact of German submarine warfare on Allied shipping lanes in that particular sector.