She was commissioned into the Flanders Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 25 August 1917 as SM UB-59.

[Note 1] She operated as part of the Flanders Flotilla based in Zeebrugge.

UB-59 scuttled 5 October 1918 off Zeebrugge at 51°19′N 03°12′E / 51.317°N 3.200°E / 51.317; 3.200 during the evacuation of Belgium by German forces.

Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-59 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun.

UB-59 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,020 nautical miles (16,710 km; 10,380 mi).