German submarine U-48 (1939)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-48
Ordered:	21 November 1936
Builder:	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost:	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number:	583
Laid down:	10 March 1937
Launched:	8 March 1939
Commissioned:	22 April 1939
Decommissioned:	October 1943
Fate:	Scuttled, 3 May 1945 off Neustadt
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)
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 or 39 TMB mines 1 × 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun with 220 rounds 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 21st U-boat Flotilla 26th U-boat Flotilla
Identification codes:	M 27 354
Commanders:	Kptlt. Herbert Schultze 22 April 1939 – 20 May 1940 K.Kapt. Hans-Rudolf Rösing 21 May – 3 September 1940 Heinrich Bleichrodt 4 September – 16 December 1940 Kptlt. Herbert Schultze 17 December – 27 July 1941 Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Atzinger August 1941 – September 1942 Oblt.z.S. Diether Todenhagen 26 September – October 1943
Operations:	Twelve: 1st patrol: 19 August – 17 September 1939 2nd patrol: 4–25 October 1939 3rd patrol: 20 November – 20 December 1939 4th patrol: 24 January – 26 February 1940 5th patrol: 3–20 April 1940 6th patrol: 26 May – 29 June 1940 7th patrol: 7–28 August 1940 8th patrol: 8–25 September 1940 9th patrol: 5–27 October 1940 10th patrol: 20 January – 27 February 1941 11th patrol: 17 March – 8 April 12th patrol: a. 22 May – 1 June 1941 b. 19–21 June 1941
Victories:	51 ships sunk for a total of 306,875 GRT one warship sunk for a total of 1,060 tons three ships damaged for a total of 20,480 GRT

German submarine U-48 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, and the most successful that was commissioned . During her two years of active service, U-48 sank 55 ships for a total of 321,000 tons; she also damaged two more for a total of 12,000 tons over twelve war patrols conducted during the opening stages of the Battle of the Atlantic.

U-48 was built at the Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 583 during 1938 and 1939, being completed a few months before the outbreak of war in September 1939 and given to Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) Herbert Schultze. When war was declared, she was already in position in the North Atlantic, and received the news via radio, allowing her to operate immediately against Allied shipping.

German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-48 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).