U 48 (Navy)

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U 48 (Kriegsmarine)
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Type : VII B
Field Post Number : M 27 354
Shipyard: Germania shipyard , Kiel
Construction contract: November 21, 1936
Build number: 583
Keel laying: March 10, 1937
Launch: March 8, 1938
Commissioning: April 22, 1939
Commanders:
Calls: 12 activities
Sinkings:

52 ships (307,935 GRT )

Whereabouts: self-sunk on May 3, 1945 in Neustadt (according to rainbow orders )

U 48 was a German submarine of type VII B , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used. With more than 300,000 GRT sunk shipping space, it is considered the most successful boat of the Second World War.

history

The building contract for the boat was awarded to the Germania shipyard in Kiel on November 21, 1936 . The keel was laid on March 10, 1937, the launch on March 8, 1938, the commissioning under Lieutenant Herbert Schultze on April 22, 1939.

After its commissioning until December 31, 1939, the boat belonged to the U-Flotilla "Wegener" in Kiel as a service and front boat . When the U-Flotilla was reorganized, the 7th U-Flotilla in Kiel and Saint-Nazaire came as a front boat on January 1, 1940 .

Then it was from July 1, 1941 as a training boat in the 26th U-Flotilla in Pillau and finally from April 1, 1942 to October 31, 1943 as a school boat in the 21st U-Flotilla, also in Pillau. After decommissioning on September 25, 1943, it served as a training boat for the 3rd U-Training Division until the end of the war.

U 48 is considered to be the most successful submarine of the Second World War and, after SM U 35, one of the most successful in naval war history. It sank 52 ships with a total tonnage of 307,935 GRT and damaged a sloop and three other ships with a total tonnage of 20,480 GRT. In contrast to the otherwise extremely loss-making submarine warfare, U 48 did not lose any crew members during its service.

Use statistics

First venture

The boat left Kiel on August 19, 1939 at midnight and returned there on September 17, 1939 at 5:50 a.m. On this 30-day venture in the North Atlantic , southwest of Ireland and the Rockall Bank, three ships with 14,777 GRT were sunk.

  • September 5, 1939: The British steamer Royal Scepter (4,853 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo . He had loaded wheat and corn and was on his way from Rosario to Belfast . There was one dead. ( Location )
  • September 8, 1939: Sinking of the British steamer Winkleigh (5,055 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded grain and timber and was on his way from Vancouver via Panama to Manchester . There were no deaths, 37 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 11, 1939: The British steamer Firby (4,869 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Tyne to Port Churchill in Hudson Bay . There were no deaths, 34 survivors. ( Location )

Second venture

The boat left Kiel on October 4, 1939 at 1.00 a.m. and returned there on October 25, 1939 at 9.45 a.m. On this 22-day operation in the North Atlantic, five ships with 37,153 GRT were sunk.

  • October 12, 1939: Sinking of the French tanker Emile Miguet (14,115 GRT) by artillery and torpedo. He had 137,000  barrels of crude oil and gasoline on board and was en route from Corpus Christi and Kingston to Le Havre . The ship was a straggler of convoy KJ-2 . ( Location )
  • October 13, 1939: The British steamer Heronspool (5,202 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 8,000 tons of coal and was on his way from Swansea to Montreal . The ship was a straggler from convoy OB-17 with eleven ships. There were no dead. ( Location )
  • October 13, 1939: The French steamer Louisiane (6,903 GRT) was sunk by artillery fire. He had loaded general cargo and was on his way from Antwerp to Havana . The ship belonged to convoy OA-17 . There was one dead. ( Location )
  • October 14, 1939: The British steamer Sneaton (3,677 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,300 tons of coal and was on the way from Cardiff to Rio de Janeiro . There was one dead. ( Location )
  • October 17, 1939: Sinking of the British steamer Clan Chisholm (7,256 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,500 tons of general cargo, coconuts , cotton , jute and tea and was on the way from Calcutta to Liverpool and Glasgow . The ship belonged to convoy HG-3 with 25 ships. There were four dead and 74 survivors. ( Location )

Third company

The boat left Kiel on November 20, 1939 at 10:00 p.m. and returned there on December 20, 1939. On this 31-day trip in the North Atlantic, the Orkneys and west of the English Channel , four ships with 25,638 GRT were sunk.

  • November 27, 1939: sinking of the Swedish tanker Gustav E. Reuter (6,336 GRT) by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Sweden to Curaçao . There was one dead. ( Location )
  • December 8, 1939: Sinking of the British steamer Brandon (6,668 GRT) by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Cardiff to Port Everglades ( Florida ). The ship was a straggler from convoy OB-48 with 13 ships. There were nine dead. ( Location )
  • 9 December 1939: The British tanker San Alberto (7,397 GRT) was sunk by a torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from Clyde to Trinidad . The ship belonged to convoy OB-48 . There was one dead and 36 survivors. ( Location )
  • December 15, 1939: The Greek steamer Germaine (5,217 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He was carrying corn and was on his way from Albany to Cork . There were no dead. ( Location )

Fourth venture

The boat left Kiel on January 24, 1940 at 10:00 p.m. and returned there on February 26, 1940 at 5:00 p.m. On this 28-day operation in the North Atlantic four ships with 31,526 GRT were sunk.

  • February 10, 1940: sinking of the Dutch steamer Burgerdijk (6,853 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded soybeans and corn and was on his way from New York to Rotterdam . There were no dead. ( Location )
  • February 14, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Sultan Star (12,306 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 7,803 tons of frozen meat and was on his way from Buenos Aires to Liverpool. There were no deaths, 73 survivors. ( Location )
  • February 15, 1940: The Dutch tanker Den Haag (8,971 GRT) is sunk by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 11,800 t of different oils and was on the way from Aruba and New York to Rotterdam. There were no dead. ( Location )
  • February 17, 1940: The Finnish steamer Wilja (3,396 GRT) is sunk by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded tobacco , raisins , wheat and turpentine and was on his way from Savannah to Rotterdam. There were no dead, 27 survivors. ( Location )

Fifth venture

The boat left Kiel on April 3, 1940 at 7:00 p.m. for the Weser Exercise Company and returned there on April 20, 1940 at 9:05 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 17-day and approximately 2,700  nm long undertaking east of the Shetland Islands and in the Westfjord.

Sixth venture

The boat left Kiel on May 26, 1940 at 0.03 a.m. and returned there on June 29, 1940 at 11.42 p.m. On this 35-day and approximately 6,000 nm long enterprise in the North Atlantic, in the Biscay and at Cape Finisterre , seven ships with 31,533 GRT were sunk and one ship with 5,888 GRT was damaged.

  • 5th June 1940: sinking of the British steamer Stancor (798 GRT) by artillery fire. He had loaded 300 tons of fish and was on his way from Reykjavík to Fleetwood . There were no deaths, 19 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 7, 1940: The British steamer Frances Massey (4,212 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,500 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Wabana (Conception Bay) to Glasgow . There were 34 dead and one survivor. ( Location )
  • June 7, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Eros (5,888 GRT) by a torpedo. He had general cargo and was on his way from Montreal to Liverpool. There were no dead, 62 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 11, 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Violando N. Goulandris (3,598 GRT) by a torpedo. He had wheat loaded and was on his way from Santa Fe to Waterford . There were six dead and 22 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 19, 1940: Sinking of the Norwegian motor ship Tudor (6,607 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 4,500 tons of steel and was on the way from Sydney to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HGF-34. There was one dead and 38 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 19, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer British Monarch (5,661 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 8,200 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Bougie to Glasgow. The ship belonged to convoy HG 34 with 15 ships. It was a total loss with 40 dead. ( Location )
  • June 19, 1940: The British steamer Baron Loudoun (3,164 GRT) is sunk by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 5,050 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Bona to Barrow . The ship belonged to convoy HGF 34 with 21 ships. There were three dead and 30 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 20, 1940: Sinking of the Dutch tanker Moordrecht (7,493 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 10,200 tons of petrol and was on his way from Port Arthur to A Coruña . The ship was a straggler of convoy HX 49 . ( Location )

Seventh venture

The boat was at 14.00 from Kiel and on August 28, 1940 at 22.45 in the August 7, 1940 Lorient one. On this 22-day and approximately 4,200 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic and the North Canal , five ships with 29,168 GRT were sunk.

  • August 16, 1940: The Swedish steamer Hedrun (2,325 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,009 tons of coal and was on his way from Swansea to Newport. The ship was a straggler from convoy OB 197 . There were ten dead and 20 survivors. ( Location )
  • August 19, 1940: sinking of the Belgian steamer Ville de Gand (7,590 GRT) by three torpedoes. He had 1,000 tons of grenades on board and was on his way from Liverpool to New York. There were 15 dead and 38 survivors. ( Location )
  • August 24, 1940: Sinking of the British tanker La Brea (6,666 GRT) by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded 9,410 tons of heating oil and was on his way from Aruba to Dundee . The ship was a straggler of the convoy HX-65 with 51 ships. There were two dead and 31 survivors. ( Location )
  • August 25, 1940: Sinking of the British tanker Athelcrest (6,825 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had diesel loaded and was on his way from Aruba to London. The ship belonged to convoy HX 65 . There were 30 dead and six survivors. ( Location )
  • August 25, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Empire Merlin (5,763 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 6,830 tons of sulfur and was on the way from Port Sulfur ( Louisiana ) to Hull . The ship belonged to convoy HX 65 . There were 35 dead and one survivor. ( Location )

Eighth venture

The boat left Lorient on September 8, 1940 at 8 p.m. and returned there on September 25, 1940 at 10:24 a.m. On this 18-day and approximately 3,600 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic, west of the Hebrides and the North Canal, six ships with 33,358 GRT were sunk and two ships with 6,916 GRT were damaged.

  • September 15, 1940: Sinking of the British sloop HMS Dundee (1,060 t) by a torpedo. She was the only security ship in convoy SC 3 with 47 ships. ( Location )
  • September 15, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Kenordoc (1,780 GRT) by a torpedo. The ship belonged to convoy SC 3 and was sunk by U 99 on the same day .
  • September 15, 1940: The British steamer Empire Volunteer (5,319 GRT) sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,700 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Wabana (Conception Bay) to Glasgow. The ship belonged to convoy SC 3 . There were six dead and 33 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 15, 1940: The Greek steamer Alexandros (4,343 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,500 tons of wood and paper and was on his way from Montreal to Sherpness. The ship belonged to convoy SC 3 . There were five dead and 25 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 18, 1940: Sinking of the British passenger liner City of Benares (11,081 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. It had 406 passengers and crew on board and was en route from Liverpool to Québec and Montreal . The ship belonged to convoy OB 213 with 19 ships. 248 people were killed (including the convoy commodore and 77 British children who were to be evacuated to Canada, and the German journalist and lawyer Rudolf Olden ). 158 passengers and crew members were rescued. ( Location )
  • September 18, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Marina (5,088 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 5,700 tons of general cargo and coal. He was on his way from Glasgow to Buenos Aires. The ship belonged to convoy OB 213 . There were two dead and 37 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 18, 1940: The British steamer Magdalena (3,118 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,600 tons of iron ore and was on the way from St. John's (Newfoundland) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Holyhead and Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy SC 3 with 47 ships. It was a total loss with 31 dead. ( Location )
  • September 21, 1940: The British steamer Blairangus (4,409 GRT) is sunk by a G7a torpedo. He had loaded pit wood and was on the way from Botwood ( Newfoundland ) via Halifax to Methil . The ship was part of the HX-72 convoy with 47 ships. There were six dead and 28 survivors. ( Location )
  • September 21, 1940: Damage to the British steamer Broompark (5,136 GRT) by a torpedo. The ship belonged to convoy HX-72 and was sunk by U 552 on July 25, 1942 . ( Location )

Ninth venture

The boat left Lorient on October 5, 1940 at 6.30 p.m. and entered Kiel on October 27, 1940 at 10.45 a.m. Seven ships with 43,106 GRT were sunk on this 22-day and approximately 3,850 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic, the North Canal and at the Rockall Bank.

  • October 11, 1940: The Norwegian motor ship Brandanger (4,624 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. It had 8,000 tons of wood and metals loaded and was on its way from Portland to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HX 77 with 40 ships. There were six dead and 24 survivors. ( Location )
  • October 11, 1940: Sinking of the British motor ship Port Gisborne (8,390 GRT) by a torpedo. It had 2,479 bales of wool , 200 bales of sheepskin, frozen meat and general cargo loaded and was en route from Auckland via Halifax to Belfast and Cardiff. The ship belonged to convoy HX 77 . There were 26 dead and 38 survivors. ( Location )
  • October 12, 1940: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Davanger (7,102 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 10,000 tons of heating oil and was on the way from Curaçao to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HX-77. There were 17 dead and twelve survivors. ( Location )
  • October 17, 1940: Sinking of the British tanker Languedoc (9,512 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 13,700 tons of heating oil and was on his way from Trinidad via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Manchester. The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were no deaths, 39 survivors. ( Location )
  • October 17, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Scoresby (3,843 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 1,685 ft of pit wood and was on the way from Francis Harbor ( Labrador ) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Clayde. The ship belonged to convoy SC 7 . There were no deaths, 39 survivors. ( Location )
  • October 18, 1940: Sinking of the British steamer Sandsend (3,612 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 4,350 t of anthracite and was on the way from Port Talbot to Québec . The ship was a straggler of convoy OB-228 with 47 ships. There were five dead and 34 survivors. ( Location )
  • October 20, 1940: Sinking of the British tanker Shirak (6,023 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had 7,771 tons of petroleum loaded and was on his way from Aruba via Halifax to London . The ship belonged to convoy HX 79 with 49 ships. There were no deaths, 37 survivors. ( Location )

Tenth venture

The boat left Kiel on January 20, 1941 at 10:00 a.m. and entered Saint-Nazaire on February 27, 1941 . On this 34-day and approximately 6,100 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic, west of the North Channel and Ireland, two ships with 8,640 GRT were sunk.

  • February 1, 1941: sinking of the Greek steamer Nicolaos Angelos (4,351 GRT) by a torpedo and artillery. He had an unknown cargo and was en route from the River Mersey to New York City. There were no survivors. ( Location )
  • February 24, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Nailsea Lass (4,289 GRT) by a G7e torpedo. He had loaded 1,301 tons of charcoal , 1,041 tons of pig iron , 300 tons of iron ore, as well as tea, hemp and jute and was on the way from Calcutta via Cape Town , Freetown and Oban to London. The ship belonged to convoy SLS 64 with 28 ships. There were five dead and 29 survivors. The captain and chief engineer were captured and taken to Saint-Nazaire. ( Location )

Eleventh venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on March 17, 1941 at 6.30 p.m. and returned there on April 8, 1941 at 3 p.m. During this 22-day and approx. 4,250 nm above and 87 nm underwater undertaking west of Ireland four ships with 22,989 GRT were sunk.

  • March 29, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Germanic (5,352 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,982 tons of wheat and was on the way from Halifax to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HX 115 with 32 ships. There were five dead and 35 survivors. ( Location )
  • March 29, 1941: sinking of the Belgian steamer Limbourg (2,483 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,450 tons of phosphate and was on the way from Curacao to Aberdeen . The ship belonged to convoy HX-115. There were only two survivors. ( Location )
  • March 29, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Hylton (5,197 GRT) by a torpedo. The ship was built in 1937 for the Sheaf Shipping Company in Newcastle upon Tyne . The steamer had loaded 6,900 tons of timber and 1,500 tons of wheat and was on its way from Vancouver via Panama and Halifax to Tyne. The ship had joined convoy HX 115 that left Halifax on March 17, 1941. The Hylton was hit by a torpedo at six in the morning. No distress signal could be issued, but the entire crew managed to leave the ship alive. The 36 survivors saved themselves with the only lifeboat the Hylton had on board. They were picked up by the corvette HMS Dianella and brought to Londonderry . The floating wreck of the Hylton was sunk by the HMS Venomous by artillery fire. ( Location )
  • April 2, 1941: Sinking of the British tanker Beaverdale (9,957 GRT) by torpedo and artillery. He had loaded general cargo and was on the way from Saint John (New Brunswick) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy SC 36 with 40 ships. There were 21 dead and 58 survivors. ( Location )

Twelfth venture

The boat left Saint-Nazaire on May 22, 1941 at 8:50 p.m. and entered Kiel on June 21, 1941 at 8:00 p.m. On this 30-day undertaking four ships with 29,006 GRT were sunk and one ship with 9,456 GRT was damaged.

  • June 3, 1941: Damage to the British tanker Inversuir (9,456 GRT) by three torpedoes and artillery. The ship belonged to convoy OB 237 . It was sunk by U 75 on the same day . ( Location )
  • June 5, 1941: sinking of the British tanker Wellfield (6,054 GRT) by three torpedoes. He drove in ballast and was on his way from Liverpool to Curacao. The ship belonged to convoy OB 328 with 26 ships. There were eight dead and 33 survivors. ( Location )
  • June 6, 1941: The British steamer Tregarthen (5,201 GRT) is sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 7,800 tons of coal and was on his way from Cardiff to Kingston (Jamaica) . The ship belonged to convoy OB 329 with 41 ships. It was a total loss with 45 dead. ( Location )
  • June 8, 1941: sinking of the Dutch tanker Pendrecht (10,746 GRT) by three torpedoes. He was ballasted and on his way from Swansea to New York. The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OB 329 . It was a total loss with 36 dead. ( Location )
  • June 12, 1941: Sinking of the British steamer Empire Dew (7,005 GRT) by torpedo and artillery. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Tyne to Father Point ( New Brunswick ). The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy OG-64 with 52 ships. There were 23 dead and 20 survivors. ( Location )

Whereabouts

Like over 200 other submarines, the boat was self -sunk by its crew four days before the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht on May 3, 1945 according to the so-called rainbow order near Neustadt in the port area , one day before the order was withdrawn as part of the partial surrender has been. The position was 54 ° 5 ′ 50.6 ″  N , 10 ° 48 ′ 44.2 ″  E in marine grid reference AO 7766.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ian M. Malcolm: "Shipping Company Losses of the Second World War. Book II", Moira Brown, Dundee 2020, ISBN 978-1-65661-255-7 , page 114

Web links