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U-Boat Typ: VII B U-47 - by FinalBiologic / (UPDATED 2025 Pv.1.0)

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U-47 or Unterseeboot 47 was a German Type VIIB submarine of the Kriegsmarine during World War II.

U 47 became famous for the sinking of the British battleship Royal Oak at the British naval base Scapa Flow. U-47 sank on 7 March 1941 south of Iceland for unknown reasons.

History:
The construction contract for U 47 was awarded on 21 November 1936 to the F. Krupp Germania shipyard in Kiel. The keel was laid on 27 February 1937 and launched on 29 October 1938. On 17 December 1938 she was commissioned under Oberleutnant zur See Günther Prien. He remained the only commander of this boat.

Until 31 December 1939, U-47 belonged to the Wegener U-Flotilla in Kiel. After the reorganization of the U-Flotillas, it belonged from 1 January 1940 until its probable sinking on 7 March 1941 to the 7th U-Flotilla in Kiel. [1] As a so-called "maling" it bore from 14 October 1939 the drawing of a snorting bull on the tower. [2] The original was developed by the First Watch Officer Engelbert Endrass at the suggestion of the Second Watch Officer, Amelung von Varendorff, on the basis of a caricature during the return journey from duty in Scapa Flow. After the sinking of U 47, this drawing became the coat of arms of the entire 7th Flotilla on the instructions of the then flotilla chief Herbert Sohler.

U-47 undertook ten patrols, sinking 30 ships with a total tonnage of 162,768 GRT. Eight other ships of 62,751 tons were damaged.