SM U-49

SM U-49^{[Note 1]} was the seventh U-boat of the U-43 class. She was ordered on 4 August 1914 and was put into the III Flotilla 7 August 1916. In her career she sank 38 ships for a total of 86,320 gross register tons (GRT). None was a naval ship.

NameU-49

Ordered4 August 1914

BuilderKaiserliche Werft Danzig

Yard number27

Quick facts History, German Empire ...

History
German Empire
Name	U-49
Ordered	4 August 1914
Builder	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number	27
Launched	26 November 1915
Commissioned	31 May 1916
Fate	Sunk, 11 September 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class & 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	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) [2] 8 torpedoes 2 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun
Service record
Part of	III Flotilla 7 August 1916 – 11 September 1917
Commanders	Kptlt. Richard Hartmann 31 May 1916 – 11 September 1917
Operations	6 patrols
Victories	38 merchant ships sunk (86,320 GRT) 2 merchant ships damaged (2,609 GRT) 1 merchant ship taken as prize (566 GRT)

Close

Kapitänleutnant Richard Hartmann commanded U-49 throughout her career until she was sunk on 11 September 1917 in action in the Bay of Biscay. While surfaced, U-49 attacked the merchant ship British Transport, which had sailed Brest, France bound for Archangel in Russia, laden with munitions and other explosives.^{[citation needed]} After a gun battle lasting five hours, U-49 fired two torpedoes at British Transport. Both missed, and the merchantman then rammed and sank her at 46°17′N 14°42′W; all hands were lost.^[3]

It was the first time in the war that a merchant ship had sunk a U-boat. In February 1918 British Transport's Master, Captain AT Pope, was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order,^[4][5][6] three of her officers were awarded the DSC,^[7] seven of her crewmen were awarded the DSM and three were mentioned in dispatches.^[8]