SM U-48

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.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-48.
History
German Empire
Name: U-48
Ordered: 4 August 1914
Builder: Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Launched: 3 October 1915
Commissioned: 22 April 1916
Fate: Scuttled 24 November 1917 after exchanging fire with British patrol craft – 19 dead and 17 survivors.
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Type U-43 submarine
Displacement:
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length: 65.00 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)
Height: 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught: 3.74 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
Propulsion: 2 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 depth: 50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement: 36
Armament:
Service record[2]
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)

On 24 November 1917 she ran aground on Goodwin Sands. There she was fired on by HMS Gipsy. U-48 was scuttled and abandoned. HMS Gipsy continued to fire, killing 19. 17 were taken prisoner.[3]

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

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. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 48". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  3. Lecane, Philip (2005). Torpedoed. Periscope Publishing. p. 292. ISBN 1-904381-30-8.
  4. 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
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

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