German submarine U-43 (1939)

	U-37, (an identical U-boat to U-43) at Lorient in 1940
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-43
Ordered	21 November 1936
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	948
Laid down	15 August 1938
Launched	23 May 1939
Commissioned	26 August 1939
Fate	Sunk south-west of the Azores by an American aircraft, 30 July 1943. 55 dead
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXA submarine
Displacement	1,032 t (1,016 long tons) surfaced; 1,153 t (1,135 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) surfaced; 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged;
Range	10,500 nmi (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 65–78 nmi (120–144 km; 75–90 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	6th U-boat Flotilla; 26 August – 31 December 1939; 2nd U-boat Flotilla; 1 January 1940 – 30 July 1943;
Identification codes:	M 24 266
Commanders:	Kptlt. Wilhelm Ambrosius; 26 August 1939 – 20 October 1940; Kptlt. Wolfgang Lüth; 21 October 1940 – 11 April 1942; Oblt.z.S. Hans-Joachim Schwantke; 19 March 1942 – 30 July 1943;
Operations:	14 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 6 November – 14 December 1939; 2nd patrol:; 13 March – 6 April 1940; 3rd patrol:; 12 – 23 April 1940; 4th patrol:; a. 13 May – 22 July 1940; b. 9 – 12 September 1940; 5th patrol:; 15 September – 18 October 1940; 6th patrol:; 10 November – 17 December 1940; 7th patrol:; 11 May – 1 July 1941; 8th patrol:; 2 August – 23 September 1941; 9th patrol:; 10 November – 16 December 1941; 10th patrol:; 30 December 1941 – 22 January 1942; 11th patrol:; 4 July – 15 August 1942; 12th patrol:; 23 September – 9 December 1942; 13th patrol:; 9 January – 31 March 1943; 14th patrol:; 13 – 30 July 1943;
Victories:	21 merchant ships sunk ; (117,036 GRT); 1 merchant ship total loss ; (9,131 GRT); 1 merchant ship damaged ; (10,350 GRT);

German submarine U-43 was a Type IXA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The keel for U-43 was laid down in August 1938 at Bremen; she was launched in May 1939 and commissioned in August.

Between November 1939 and July 1943, the U-boat conducted 14 combat patrols, sinking 21 merchant ships for a total of 117,036 gross register tons (GRT), damaging one ship of 10,350 GRT and another of 9,131 GRT — enough for it to be declared a total loss.

U-43 was sunk on 30 July 1943 southwest of the Azores by a torpedo dropped by a United States Navy aircraft; all 55 hands were lost.

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