SM UC-72 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 12 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 December 1916 as SM UC-72. In eight patrols UC-72 was credited with sinking 41 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-72 disappeared after 21 August 1917.
The wreck of UC-72 was identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney off Dover in 2013. The wreck seems to have fallen victim to a mine while inbound from patrol.
A Type UC II submarine, UC-72 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing (a total of ), two electric motors producing , and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . UC-72 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.