She was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 6 May 1918 as SM UB-117.

[Note 1] UB-117 was surrendered to the British on 26 November 1918 and broken up in Felixstowe in 1919 / 20.

UB-117 was commissioned in the spring the next year under the command of Kptlt.

Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-117 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 10.5 cm (4.13 in) deck gun.

UB-117 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 7,420 nautical miles (13,740 km; 8,540 mi).