U-Boat Operations

Operations information for U-47
19.08.1939 - 15.09.1939 First Sailing - active patrol U-47 left Kiel under the command of Günther Prien on 19th Aug 1939 for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 15th Sep 1939 after nearly four weeks. Günther Prien hit three ships on this patrol. On 5th Sep 1939 he sank the British 2,407 ton Bosnia. On 6th Sep 1939 he sank the British 4,086 ton Rio Claro. On 7th Sep 1939 he sank the British 1,777 ton Gartavon.
08.10.1939 - 17.10.1939 Second Sailing - active patrol On the 8th Oct 1939, U-47 left Kiel under the command of Günther Prien and after just over one week arrived at return on 17th Oct 1939. Günther Prien hit one ship on this patrol. On 14th Oct 1939 he sank the British 29,150 ton HMS Royal Oak. This patrol earnt Prien a place in submarine history. Hand picked for this mission by Admiral Dönitz, U-47 penetrated the RN base at Scapa Flow. While the outcome wasn't as huge as it could have been had the fleet not earlier left, it was a resounding victory for the U-boot-waffe.
20.10.1939 - 21.10.1939 Third Sailing U-47 departed under Günther Prien from Wilhelmshaven on 20th Oct 1939 and arrived at return on 21st Oct 1939 after one day.
16.11.1939 - 18.12.1939 Fourth Sailing - active patrol U-47 left Kiel under the command of Günther Prien on 16th Nov 1939 for operations around the Orkneys and Norway and after four and a half weeks arrived at return on 18th Dec 1939. Günther Prien hit three ships on this patrol, one was from convoy OB-46. On 5th Dec 1939 he sank the British 8,795 ton Navasota, sailing with convoy OB-46. On 6th Dec 1939 he sank the Norwegian 6,214 ton Britta. On 7th Dec 1939 he sank the Dutch 8,159 ton Tajandoen. On 28th November OL Prien was disappointed to have an attack on HMS Norfolk foiled by the torpedo exploding prematurely. After this patrol U-47 needed extensive repairs and was not back in action until March.You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Britta.
29.02.1940 - 05.03.1940 Fifth Sailing On the 29th Feb 1940, U-47 left Kiel under the command of Günther Prien and arrived at return on 5th Mar 1940 after five days.
11.03.1940 - 29.03.1940 Sixth Sailing - active patrol U-47 departed under Günther Prien from Wilhelmshaven on 11th Mar 1940 for operations around the Orkneys and Norway and after two and a half weeks arrived at return on 29th Mar 1940. Günther Prien hit one ship on this patrol. On 25th Mar 1940 he sank the Danish 1,146 ton Britta.
03.04.1940 - 26.04.1940 Seventh Sailing - active patrol U-47 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Günther Prien on 3rd Apr 1940 for operations off Norway and the Shetlands and arrived at return on 26th Apr 1940 after over three weeks.U-47 took part in Operation Hartmut - the U-boot-waffe's support of the occupation of Norway. During this operation U-47 suffered from complete failure of torpedoes, attack after attack failing including one upon HMS Warspite on 19th April. This was the first real proof that something was wrong with the torpedoes in what was to become unfortunately a drawn out fiasco. To add to Prien's frustrations navigation within the confines of the fiords was difficult, at one point U-47 became grounded. As the boat managed to get free, it was attacked by depth charges from a destroyer, damaging U-47's engines, resulting in more repairs upon return to Kiel.
03.06.1940 - 06.07.1940 Eighth Sailing - active patrol On the 3rd Jun 1940, U-47 left Kiel under the command of Günther Prien for operations SW of Ireland and after more than four weeks arrived at return on 6th Jul 1940. Günther Prien hit eight ships on this patrol, two of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy HX-47 and one was from convoy HX-49. On 14th Jun 1940 he sank the British 5,834 ton Balmoralwood, a member of convoy HX-47. On 21st Jun 1940 he sank the British 13,056 ton San Fernando, part of convoy HX-49. On 24th Jun 1940 he sank the Panamanian 1,885 ton Cathrine. On 27th Jun 1940 he sank the Dutch 2,580 ton Leticia. On 27th Jun 1940 he sank the Norwegian 4,005 ton Lenda. On 29th Jun 1940 he sank the British 4,127 ton Empire Toucan. On 30th Jun 1940 he sank the Greek 4,201 ton Georgios Kyriakides. On 2nd Jul 1940 he sank the British 15,501 ton Arandora Star. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Lenda.
27.08.1940 - 25.09.1940 Ninth Sailing - active patrol U-47 departed under Günther Prien from Kiel on 27th Aug 1940 for operations in the North West approaches and arrived at return on 25th Sep 1940 after just over four weeks. Günther Prien hit seven ships on this patrol, six of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy HX-72, one was from convoy OA-207 and four were from convoy SC-2. On 2nd Sep 1940 he sank the Belgian 7,463 ton Ville de Mons. On 4th Sep 1940 he sank the British 9,034 ton Titan, from convoy OA-207. On 7th Sep 1940 he sank the Norwegian 4,211 ton Gro, sailing with convoy SC-2. On 7th Sep 1940 he sank the British 5,155 ton Neptunian, a member of convoy SC-2. On 7th Sep 1940 he sank the British 5,303 ton José de Larrinaga, part of convoy SC-2. On 9th Sep 1940 he sank the Greek 3,840 ton Possidon, from convoy SC-2. On 21st Sep 1940 he damaged the British 5,156 ton Elmbank, sailing with convoy HX-72. You can find more about convoy HX-72 at the warsailors.com page on convoy HX-72. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Gro.
14.10.1940 - 23.10.1940 Tenth Sailing - active patrol U-47 left Lorient under the command of Günther Prien on 14th Oct 1940 for operations in the North Atlantic and after just over one week arrived at return on 23rd Oct 1940. Günther Prien hit six ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy, all of them from convoy HX-79. On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the British 4,947 ton Wandby, a member of convoy HX-79. On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the British 4,966 ton Uganda, part of convoy HX-79. On 19th Oct 1940 he damaged the British 6,023 ton Shirak, from convoy HX-79. On 20th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,026 ton Whitford Point, sailing with convoy HX-79. On 20th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,185 ton La Estancia, a member of convoy HX-79. On 20th Oct 1940 he damaged the British 8,995 ton Athelmonarch, part of convoy HX-79. You can find more about convoy HX-79 at the warsailors.com page on convoy HX-79.
03.11.1940 - 06.12.1940 Eleventh Sailing - active patrol On the 3rd Nov 1940, U-47 left Lorient under the command of Günther Prien for operations in the North West approaches and arrived at return on 6th Dec 1940 after more than four weeks. Günther Prien hit four ships on this patrol, three of these ships were in convoy, all of them from convoy HX-90. On 8th Nov 1940 he damaged the Portugese 1,595 ton Gonçalo Velho. On 2nd Dec 1940 he damaged the British 3,862 ton Dunsley, from convoy HX-90. On 2nd Dec 1940 he damaged the British 8,376 ton Conch, sailing with convoy HX-90. On 2nd Dec 1940 he sank the Belgian 7,555 ton Ville d´Arlon, a member of convoy HX-90.
20.02.1941 - 07.03.1941 Twelfth Sailing U-47 departed under Günther Prien from Lorient on 20th Feb 1941 for operations in the North West approaches and after just over two weeks arrived at return on 7th Mar 1941. Günther Prien hit six ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy: One was from convoy HX-109, four were from convoy OB-290 and one was from convoy OB-293. On 26th Feb 1941 he sank the Swedish 3,197 ton Rydboholm, part of convoy OB-290. On 26th Feb 1941 he sank the Norwegian 3,636 ton Borgland, from convoy OB-290. On 26th Feb 1941 he sank the Belgian 5,254 ton Kasongo, sailing with convoy OB-290. On 26th Feb 1941 he damaged the British 8,106 ton Diala, a member of convoy OB-290. On 28th Feb 1941 he sank the British 4,223 ton Holmelea, part of convoy HX-109. On 7th Mar 1941 he damaged the British 20,638 ton Terje Viken, from convoy OB-293. You can find more about convoy OB-290 at the warsailors.com page on convoy OB-290. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Borgland.

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