U-48

Type

VIIB

 
Ordered21 Nov 1936
Laid down10 Mar 1937 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 583)
Launched8 Mar 1939
Commissioned22 Apr 1939Kptlt. Herbert Schultze
Commanders
22 Apr 1939 - 20 May 1940  Kptlt. Herbert Schultze (Knights Cross)
21 May 1940 - 3 Sep 1940  KrvKpt. Hans Rudolf Rösing (Knights Cross)
4 Sep 1940 - 16 Dec 1940  Kptlt. Heinrich Bleichrodt (Knights Cross)
17 Dec 1940 - 27 Jul 1941  Kptlt. Herbert Schultze (Knights Cross)
Aug, 1941 - Sep, 1942  Oblt. Siegfried Atzinger
26 Sep 1942 - Oct, 1943  Oblt. Diether Todenhagen
Career
12 patrols
22 Apr 1939-31 Aug 1939  7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Sep 1939-31 Dec 1939  7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan 1940-30 Jun 1941  7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jul 1941-31 Mar 1942  26. Flottille (training)
1 Apr 1942-31 Oct 1943  21. Flottille (school boat)
Successes51 ships sunk for a total of 306,875 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,060 tons
3 ships damaged for a total of 20,480 GRT
Fate

She was scuttled on 3 May, 1945 off Neustadt, Germany.

See the 55 ships hit by U-48 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-48 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Rösing (12 Jun 1940 - 15 Jun 1940)
   West (2 Jun 1941 - 8 Jun 1941)

Attacks on this boat

13 Apr 1940
The boat, while attempting to attack the HMS Warspite destroyer screen, was herself depth charged but not seriously damaged. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 152)

22 Mar 1941
The boat was attacked by British destroyers with depth charges and suffered slight damages.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat


U-48 returning to base after a successful patrol.

2 Apr 1941. On 2 April, 1941 U-48 was badly damaged by an explosion on the sinking ship Beaverdale and was forced to return to base.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-48 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


We have an emblem for this boat!

You can view it here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat).



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

Children of the Benares. Barker, Ralph, 2003.
German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
Narvik. Dickens, Peter and Grove, Eric J., 1996.
U-48. Alman, Karl, 1986.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.


There was another U-48 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 3 Oct 1915 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 22 Apr 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 48 during WWI.