| 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 with all hands by British Transport, 11 September 1917 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Type U-43 submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a) |
| Beam |
|
| Height | 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3.74 m (12 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
| Complement | 36 |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 6 patrols |
| Victories: | |
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.
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 / 46.283°N 14.700°W; all hands were lost.[2]
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,[3][4][5] three of her officers were awarded the DSC,[6] seven of her crewmen were awarded the DSM and three were mentioned in dispatches.[7]
- ^ Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 49". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.
- ^ "Honours to the Mercantile Marine". The London Gazette (Supplement). No. 30536. 22 February 1918. p. 2305.
- ^ Stevens 1950[page needed]
- ^ Haws 2000[page needed]
- ^ Burrell 1992, p. 73.
- ^ Burrell 1992, p. 74.
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