SM U-47 (Germany)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-47.
Career (German Empire)
Name: U-47
Ordered: 4 August 1914
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Launched: 16 August 1915
Commissioned: 28 February 1916
Fate: Scuttled on 28 October 1918
General characteristics
Type:Type U-43 submarine
Displacement:725 tons surfaced
940 tons submerged
1,059 tons (total)
Length:65 m (213 ft) (oa
52.51 m (172.3 ft) (pressure hull)
Beam:6.2 m (20 ft) (oa)
4.18 m (13.7 ft) (pressure hull)
Height:8.7 m (29 ft)
Draught:3.74 m (12.3 ft)
Installed power:2400 hp surfaced
1200 hp submerged
Speed:17.1 kn (31.7 km/h; 19.7 mph)
9.1 kn (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph)
Range:•9,400 nmi (17,400 km; 10,800 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
•55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth:50 m (160 ft)
Complement:36
Armament:4 x 50 cm (19.7 in)[1] torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern; 6 torpedoes)
1 x 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun with 276 rounds
Service record
Part of: Imperial German Navy:
III Flotilla
8 May 1916 - 27 Dec 1916
Pola Flotilla
27 Dec 1916 - 28 Oct 1918
Commanders: Kptlt Heinrich Metzger[2]
28 Feb 1916 - 27 Aug 1917
Kptlt Johannes Feldkirchner[3]
28 Aug 1917 - 29 Oct 1917
Oblt Otto Gerke[4]
30 Oct 1917 - 10 Mar 1918
Kptlt Wilhelm Canaris[5]
14 Jan 1918 - 14 Jun 1918
Kptlt Adolf Franz[6]
11 Mar 1918 - 31 Mar 1918
Kptlt Erich Gerth[7]
15 Jun 1918 - 11 Sep 1918
Kptlt Carl Bünte[8]
12 Sep 1918 - 28 Oct 1918
Operations: 2 patrols
Victories: 14 merchant ships sunk (23,931 gross register tons (GRT))
3 ships damaged (9,500 GRT)
1 ship taken as a prize (1,046 GRT)

SM U-47 was a Type U-43 submarine of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine.). She engaged in commerce war during the First World War.

Career

U-47 entered service in early 1916, serving initially with the III Flotilla, and from 27 December 1916 with the Pola Flotilla. Her captain between 14 January and 14 June 1918 was Wilhelm Canaris.

She carried out two war patrols and succeeded in sinking 14 ships for a total of (23,931 gross register tons (GRT). In addition to this she damaged two ships for 9,351 GRT and captured another ship as a prize. Engine troubles meant she could not be used from June 1918, and was finally scuttled at Pula on 28 October 1918 during the evacuation.

Summary of Raiding Career

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[9]
15 August 1916 Presto  Sweden 1,046 Captured as a prize
30 August 1916 Wellamo  Finland 1,050 Sunk
16 November 1916 Dolfijn  Netherlands 140 Sunk
16 November 1916 Parnass  Norway 646 Sunk
1 December 1916 Kediri  Netherlands 3,781 Sunk
7 December 1916 Spyros  Greece 3,357 Sunk
13 December 1916 Salamis  Greece 3,638 Sunk
19 December 1916 Sno  Norway 1,823 Sunk
8 May 1917 Madeleine III  French Navy 149 Damaged
11 May 1917 Hindoo  United Kingdom 4,915 Damaged
13 May 1917 L’Indipendente F.  Kingdom of Italy 181 Sunk
15 May 1917 Pancras  United Kingdom 4,436 Damaged
17 May 1917 Eirini  Greece 2,662 Sunk
18 May 1917 Frances M.  United States 1,228 Sunk
22 May 1917 Lapa  Brazil 1,366 Sunk
24 May 1917 Barbara  United States 838 Sunk
25 May 1917 Magnus Manson  United States 1,751 Sunk
3 June 1917 Vulcanus  France 1,470 Sunk

Notes

  1. ↑ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "U-Boats (1905-18)", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, "(Phoebus Publishing, 1978), Volume 23, p.2534.
  2. ↑ "Heinrich Metzger". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Johannes Feldkirchner". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Otto Gerke". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Wilhelm Canaris". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Adolf Franz". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Erich Gerth". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Carl Bünte". uboat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "SM U-47 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 12 January 2015.