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;
Speed	17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced; 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged;
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) submerged;
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) C/30 anti-aircraft gun;
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla; 22 April 1939 – 30 June 1941; 26th U-boat Flotilla ; 1 July 1941 – 31 March 1942; 21st U-boat Flotilla; 1 April 1942 - 31 October 1943;
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; Kptlt. 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:	12 patrols:; 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 1941; 12th patrol:; a. 22 May – 17 June 1941; b. 19 – 21 June 1941;
Victories:	50 merchant ships sunk ; (299,477 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (1,060 tons); 4 merchant ships damaged ; (27,877 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 51 ships for a total of 299,477 GRT and 1,060 tons; she also damaged four more for a total of 27,877 GRT 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.

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