SM U-40 (Austria-Hungary)

U-40 arriving in Venice to be surrendered in 1919
History
Austria-Hungary
NameSM U-40
BuilderCantiere Navale Triestino, Pola
Laid down8 August 1916[1]
Launched21 April 1917[2]
Commissioned4 August 1917[3]
FateScrapped 1920
Service record
Commanders:
  • Johann Krsnjavi
  • 4 August 1917 – 18 September 1918[3]
  • Wladimir Pfeifer
  • 19 September – 31 October 1918
Victories:
  • 3 merchant ships sunk
    (9,838 GRT)[3]
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,112 GRT)
General characteristics
TypeU-27-class submarine
Displacement
  • 264 t (260 long tons) surfaced
  • 301 t (296 long tons) submerged[2]
Length121 ft 1 in (36.91 m)[2]
Beam14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)[2]
Draft12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)[2]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 9 knots (17 km/h) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (14 km/h) submerged[2]
Complement23–24[2]
Armament

SM U-40 or U-XL was a U-27 class U-boat or submarine for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. U-40, built by the Austrian firm of Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT) at the Pola Navy Yard, was launched in April 1917 and commissioned in August.

She had a single hull and was just over 121 feet (37 m) in length. She displaced nearly 265 metric tons (261 long tons) when surfaced and over 300 metric tons (295 long tons) when submerged. Her two diesel engines moved her at up to 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) on the surface, while her twin electric motors propelled her at up to 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) while underwater. She was armed with two bow torpedo tubes and could carry a load of up to four torpedoes. She was also equipped with a 75 mm (3.0 in) deck gun and a machine gun.

During her service career, U-40 sank three ships and damaged three others, sending a combined tonnage of 9,838 to the bottom. U-40 was at Fiume at war's end and was surrendered at Venice in March 1919. She was granted to Italy as a war reparation and broken up the following year.

  1. ^ "Tengeralattjárók" (PDF) (in Hungarian). Imperial and Royal Navy Association. pp. 28–29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference Con-344 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: KUK U40". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 January 2009.