German submarine U-47 (1938)

October 1939. U-47 returns to port after sinking HMS Royal Oak. The battleship Scharnhorst can be seen in the background
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-47
Ordered:	21 November 1936
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number:	582
Laid down:	27 February 1937
Launched:	29 October 1938
Commissioned:	17 December 1938
Status:	Missing 7 March 1941, in the North Atlantic near the Rockall Bank and Trough.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement:	753 t (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length:	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	8,700 nmi (16,112 km; 10,012 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament:	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 17 December 1938 – 7 March 1941
Identification codes:	M 18 837
Commanders:	K.Kapt.Günther Prien 17 December 1938 – 7 March 1941
Operations:	10 patrols
Victories:	30 ships sunk for a total of 162,769 GRT one warship sunk for a total of 29,150 tons eight ships damaged for a total of 62,751 GRT

German submarine U-47 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. She was laid down on 25 February 1937 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 582 and went into service on 17 December 1938 under the command of Günther Prien.

During U-47's career, she sank a total of 31 enemy vessels and damaged eight more, including the British battleship HMS Royal Oak on 14 October 1939. U-47 ranks as one of the most successful German U-boats of World War II.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-47 had a displacement of 753 tonnes (741 long tons) when at the surface and 857 tonnes (843 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m (218 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).