SM U-48

History
German Empire
NameU-48
Ordered4 August 1914
BuilderKaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Yard number26
Launched3 October 1915
Commissioned22 April 1916
FateScuttled 24 November 1917 after exchanging fire with British patrol craft – 19 dead and 17 survivors.
General characteristics
Class & typeType U-43 submarine
Displacement
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length65.00 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)
Height9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught3.74 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
Propulsion2 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 depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement36
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 8 June 1916 – 24 November 1917
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Berndt Buß
  • 22 April 1916 – 9 March 1917
  • Oblt.z.S. Hinrich Hermann Hashagen
  • 10–16 March 1917
  • Kptlt. Karl Edeling
  • 17 March – 24 November 1917
Operations: 8 patrols
Victories:
  • 34 merchant ships sunk
    (104,558 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (180 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (5,904 GRT)

SM U-48 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-48 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

On 24 November 1917 she ran aground on Goodwin Sands. There she was fired on by HMS Gipsy. U-48 was scuttled and abandoned. In violation of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, HMS Gipsy continued to fire, killing an additional 19 survivors. Only 17 survived to be taken prisoner.