SM U-39

History
German Empire
Name	U-39
Ordered	12 June 1912
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	199
Laid down	27 March 1913
Launched	26 September 1914
Commissioned	13 January 1915
Fate	Surrendered 22 March 1919, broken up 1923.
General characteristics
Class and type	Type U 31 submarine
Displacement	685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced); 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged);
Length	64.40 m (211 ft 3 in) (o/a); 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) (pressure hull);
Beam	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a); 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull);
Draught	3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power	2 × 1,850 PS (1,361 kW; 1,825 shp) diesel engines; 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) Doppelmodyn;
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers;
Speed	16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) (surfaced); 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged);
Range	8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced); 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged);
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing ; craft carried	1 dinghy
Complement	4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament	four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern); 6 torpedoes; one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 from 1916/17);
Service record
Part of:	II Flotilla; Unknown start – 15 September 1915; Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer I Flotilla; 15 September 1915 – 18 May 1918;
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans Kratzsch; 13 January – 9 February 1915 ; Kptlt. Walther Forstmann; 11 February 1915 – 14 October 1917 ; Kptlt. Heinrich Metzger; 15 October 1917 – 18 May 1918;
Operations:	19 patrols
Victories:	149 merchant ships sunk ; (404,774 GRT); 3 warships sunk ; (1,364 tons); 2 auxiliary warships sunk ; (187 GRT); 7 merchant ships damaged ; (30,552 GRT); 1 merchant ship taken as prize ; (798 GRT);

SM U-39 was a German Type U 31 U-boat which operated in the Mediterranean Sea during World War I. It ended up being the second most successful U-boat participating in the war, sinking 149 merchant ships for a total of 404,774 GRT.

Its longest-serving captain was Kapitänleutnant Walther Forstmann, who was awarded the Pour le Mérite during command on U-39.

From January to mid-1917, Martin Niemöller served as U-39's coxswain. He is known as the author of the 1946 poem "First they came..."; as an enemy of the Third Reich, he was imprisoned from 1938 to 1945. In 1917 and 1918, Karl Dönitz served as watch officer on this boat. He later became Grand Admiral and Commander in Chief of the German Navy, and, for three weeks following Hitler's death, the head of the remnants of the Nazi government.

History

German Empire
Name	U-39
Ordered	12 June 1912
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number	199
Laid down	27 March 1913
Launched	26 September 1914
Commissioned	13 January 1915
Fate	Surrendered 22 March 1919, broken up 1923.
General characteristics
Class and type	Type U 31 submarine
Displacement	685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced) 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length	64.40 m (211 ft 3 in) (o/a) 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Beam	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a) 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught	3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power	2 × 1,850 PS (1,361 kW; 1,825 shp) diesel engines 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) Doppelmodyn
Propulsion	2 × shafts 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed	16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) (surfaced) 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range	8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced) 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing craft carried	1 dinghy
Complement	4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament	four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes (2 each bow and stern) 6 torpedoes one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 from 1916/17)
Service record
Part of:	II Flotilla Unknown start – 15 September 1915 Pola / Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer I Flotilla 15 September 1915 – 18 May 1918
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans Kratzsch 13 January – 9 February 1915 Kptlt. Walther Forstmann 11 February 1915 – 14 October 1917 Kptlt. Heinrich Metzger 15 October 1917 – 18 May 1918
Operations:	19 patrols
Victories:	149 merchant ships sunk (404,774 GRT) 3 warships sunk (1,364 tons) 2 auxiliary warships sunk (187 GRT) 7 merchant ships damaged (30,552 GRT) 1 merchant ship taken as prize (798 GRT)