SM U-103  SM "U-103" was an Imperial Germany Navy Type U 57 U-boat of the First World War. "U-103" was built on AG Weser in Bremen, launched on 9 June 1917 and commissioned 15 July 1917. She completed five tours of duty under "Kptlt." Claus Rücker and sank eight ships totalling . In the early hours of 12 May 1918, "U-103" prepared to launch torpedoes from her stern tubes at the ', older sister to the ', which was en route for France with US troops on board. The crew was unable to flood the two stern torpedo tubes, and the submarine was sighted on the surface by "Olympic", whose gunners opened fire as "Olympic" turned to ram. "U-103" started to crash dive to and turned to a parallel course, but almost immediately afterwards was struck just aft of her conning tower and "Olympic's" port propeller sliced through "U-103"'s pressure hull. The crew of "U-103" blew her ballast tanks and scuttled and abandoned their sinking submarine. Nine crewmen lost their lives. "Olympic" did not stop to pick up the survivors, but continued on to Cherbourg. later sighted a distress flare and took 35 survivors to Queenstown. "U-103"'s wreck lies at position .