German submarine U-47

German submarine U-47 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Commissioned in 1938, she is most famous for her daring penetration of the British naval base at Scapa Flow in October 1939, where she sank the battleship HMS Royal Oak. Commanded by Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien, who became known as "The Bull of Scapa Flow," U-47 was one of the most successful and celebrated U-boats of the early war years, operating primarily in the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay.

Service history

U-47 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 21 November 1936 and her keel was laid down on 25 February 1937 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel. She was launched on 29 October 1938 and commissioned into the 1st U-boat Flotilla on 17 December 1938 under the command of Günther Prien. Following her legendary first patrol, she continued to serve with distinction, transferring to the 7th U-boat Flotilla in 1941. Her operational career was spent almost entirely in the Atlantic Ocean, where she participated in several wolfpack operations, including Wolfpack Prien and Wolfpack West.

Construction and design

As a Type VIIB U-boat, U-47 was an improved version of the earlier Type VIIA submarine. Built at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, she had a displacement of 753 tonnes surfaced and 857 tonnes submerged. Her overall length was 66.5 meters, with a beam of 6.2 meters and a draught of 4.74 meters. Propulsion was provided by two MAN diesel engines for surface running and two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors for submerged travel, giving her a top speed of over 17 knots on the surface. Her armament consisted of five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) and she carried fourteen torpedoes. She was also equipped with an 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun and a 2 cm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun.

Patrols and engagements

U-47 conducted ten war patrols, sinking a total of 31 merchant ships and one major warship. Her first patrol in October 1939 resulted in the sinking of HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow, a feat for which Prien was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Subsequent patrols saw her operating off the coast of Portugal, in the Western Approaches, and along the crucial convoy routes of the North Atlantic. Notable successes included attacks on Convoy OB 290 and Convoy SC 7 during the Battle of the Atlantic. She also engaged the armed merchant cruiser HMS Carinthia and sank numerous vessels from Convoy HX 79.

Fate

U-47 was reported missing on 7 March 1941 after failing to respond to radio signals following an attack on Convoy OB 293 in the North Atlantic. The exact cause of her loss remains unknown, with theories ranging from a depth charge attack by the British destroyer HMS Wolverine to an accidental dive to crush depth or a malfunctioning torpedo circling back. No wreck has been conclusively identified, and all 45 crew members, including her final commander Kapitänleutnant Johann Friedrich Wessels, were lost.

Commanding officers

* 17 December 1938 – 7 March 1941: Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien – Prien, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, was the sole commander for most of U-47's career, becoming a major figure in Nazi propaganda. * 21 January 1941 – 7 March 1941: Kapitänleutnant Johann Friedrich Wessels – Wessels briefly assumed command for the boat's final patrol while Prien was on leave, perishing with the vessel.

Category:World War II submarines of Germany Category:Type VIIB submarines Category:Ships built in Kiel Category:Maritime incidents in March 1941