SM U-48

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History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-48
Ordered4 August 1914
BuilderKaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Yard number26
Launched3 October 1915
Commissioned22 April 1916
Fate Scuttled 24 November 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class & type Type U-43 submarine
Displacement
  • 725  t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a)
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,000  PS (1,471  kW; 1,973  shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts
Speed
  • 15.2 knots (28.2 km/h; 17.5 mph) surfaced
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 11,400  nmi (21,100 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 51 nmi (94 km; 59 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement36
Armament
Service record [3]
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 8 June 1916 – 24 November 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Berndt Buß
  • 22 April 1916 – 9 March 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Hinrich Hermann Hashagen
  • 10–16 March 1917
  • Kptlt. Karl Edeling
  • 17 March – 24 November 1917
Operations: 8 patrols
Victories:
  • 34 merchant ships sunk
    (104,558  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (180  GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (5,904  GRT)

SM U-48 [Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-48 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

On 24 November 1917 she ran aground on Goodwin Sands. There she was fired on by HMS Gipsy. U-48 was scuttled and abandoned. In violation of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, HMS Gipsy continued to fire, killing an additional 19 survivors. Only 17 survived to be taken prisoner. [4]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [5]
6 August 1916PendennisCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 2,123Captured as prize
2 October 1916 Lotusmere Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,911Sunk
4 October 1916 Brink Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,391Sunk
6 October 1916SuchanFlag of Russia.svg Russian Empire 3,781Captured as prize
6 October 1916 Tuva Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 2,270Sunk
29 December 1916 Tuskar Flag of Russia.svg Russian Empire 3,042Sunk
6 January 1917 Alphonse Conseil Flag of France.svg France 1,591Sunk
6 January 1917 Ville Du Havre Flag of France.svg France 5,026Sunk
7 January 1917 Borgholm Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,719Sunk
7 January 1917 Evangelos Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece 3,773Sunk
8 January 1917 Tholma Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,896Sunk
12 January 1917 Emeraude Flag of France.svg France 183Sunk
12 January 1917 Vestfold Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,883Sunk
14 January 1917 Sydney Flag of France.svg France 2,695Sunk
16 January 1917 Esperanca Flag of Norway.svg Norway 4,428Sunk
19 January 1917 Nailsea Court Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,295Sunk
3 March 1917 Connaught Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 2,646Sunk
4 March 1917AdelaideCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 180Damaged
4 March 1917 The Macbain Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 291Sunk
7 March 1917 Navarra Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,261Sunk
9 March 1917 Abeja Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 174Sunk
9 March 1917 East Point Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 5,234Sunk
12 March 1917 Guerveur Flag of France.svg France 2,596Sunk
12 May 1917 San Onofre Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 9,717Sunk
13 May 1917 Jessmore Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,911Sunk
15 May 1917 Meuse Flag of France.svg France 4,075Sunk
17 May 1917 Margareta Flag of Russia.svg Russian Empire 1,873Sunk
21 May 1917 Lynton Flag of Russia.svg Russian Empire 2,531Sunk
21 May 1917 Madura Flag of Norway.svg Norway 1,096Sunk
13 July 1917 Gibel-Yedid Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 949Sunk
14 July 1917 Exford Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 5,886Sunk
15 July 1917 Torcello Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 2,929Sunk
16 July 1917 Asama Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 284Sunk
31 August 1917 Westbury Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,097Sunk
7 September 1917 Minnehaha Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 13,714Sunk
9 September 1917 Elsa Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 1,236Sunk
15 September 1917 Rollesby Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 3,955Sunk

References

Notes

  1. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  2. Rössler 1981, pp. 328–329.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 48". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  4. Lecane, Philip (2005). Torpedoed. Periscope Publishing. p. 292. ISBN   1-904381-30-8.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 48". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 November 2014.

Bibliography

51°11′N1°31′E / 51.183°N 1.517°E / 51.183; 1.517