Identification & Site Information

• Name: UC-97
• Date Built & Launched: 1918
• Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany
• Specifications:
  • Length: 184 ft (56.1 m)
  • Beam: 19 ft (5.8 m)
  • Draft: 12 ft (3.7 m)
• Displacement:
  • 491 tons surfaced
  • 571 tons submerged
• Vessel Type: Steel mine-laying submarine (German Type UC III U-boat)
• Date Lost: June 7, 1921
• Place of Loss: 20 miles offshore from Highland Park, Illinois, Lake Michigan
• Cause of Loss: Gunfire during U.S. Navy target practice

Vessel Type

The UC-97 was a German Type UC III mine-laying submarine, built during World War I. It was designed to deploy naval mines in enemy waters but never saw combat, as it was completed too late in the war.

Description & History

The UC-97 was built in 1918 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, one of Germany’s premier shipbuilders. Though it was launched before the end of World War I, the submarine was never commissioned into the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) before Germany’s surrender in November 1918.

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1919), Germany was forced to surrender most of its remaining naval fleet, including several U-boats. The UC-97 was handed over to the Allies and became one of the six German submarines sent to the United States as war prizes.

In 1919-1920, UC-97 was used for a U.S. war bond tour, traveling through the Great Lakes as a display vessel to promote Victory Bonds following the war. The submarine visited several major ports, including Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Cleveland, drawing large crowds

By 1921, the submarine was no longer useful, and in compliance with naval disarmament agreements, the U.S. Navy decided to dispose of it. On June 7, 1921, the U.S. Navy gunboat USS Wilmette (formerly the ill-fated passenger steamer Eastland) used the unarmed submarine for gunnery practice. After several rounds of gunfire, the UC-97sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Final Disposition

The wreck of the UC-97 was discovered in 1992 at a depth of approximately 250 feet (76 meters). However, the exact location of the wreck remains undisclosed, likely due to concerns about disturbance, looting, or protection under military grave status.

Located By & Date Found

• Located in 1992 by Al Olsen and Taras Lyssenko.. 
• Exact coordinates have not been made public.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• UC-97 is a protected wreck under international and U.S. Navy jurisdiction.
• Its status as a historic war prize and military vessel limits access for recreational divers.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• U.S. Naval History on UC-97
• Wrecksite – UC-97
• NOAA Great Lakes Shipwrecks
• Wikipedia Blohm & BVoss UC III SubmarineTreaty_of_Versailles War Bond
• Hamilton Naval
• World War 1 Centennial
• Navsource
• Great Lakes Ships

Conclusion

The UC-97 is one of the only German submarines ever to sail on the Great Lakes and serves as a unique piece of World War I naval history. Its post-war bond tour helped educate the public about Germany’s wartime submarine fleet, and its sinking as a naval target in 1921 marked the final chapter of a short but significant legacy. Though its wreck remains undisclosed, it is one of Lake Michigan’s most historically significant shipwrecks.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: UC-97, German U-boat, Great Lakes submarines, WWI war prizes, USS Wilmette, Lake Michigan shipwrecks

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, Military Shipwrecks, 20th-century shipwrecks, German Naval History

Glossary Terms: U-boat, Mine-Laying Submarine, War Bond Tour, Naval Target Practice