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.

History
German Empire
NameU-39
Ordered12 June 1912
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number199
Laid down27 March 1913
Launched26 September 1914
Commissioned13 January 1915
FateSurrendered 22 March 1919, broken up 1923.
General characteristics
Class and typeType U 31 submarine
Displacement
  • 685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power
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 depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 dinghy
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
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)

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.

Design

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Type U 31 submarines were double-hulled ocean-going submarines similar to Type 23 and Type 27 subs in dimensions and differed only slightly in propulsion and speed. They were considered very good high sea boats with average manoeuvrability and good surface steering.[1]

U-39 had an overall length of 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in), her pressure hull was 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) long. The boat's beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a), while the pressure hull measured 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in). Type 31s had a draught of 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in – 26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced a total of 971 tonnes (956 long tons); 685 t (674 long tons) when surfaced and 878 t (864 long tons) when submerged.[1]

U-39 was fitted with two Germania 6-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total of 1,850 metric horsepower (1,361 kW; 1,825 bhp) for use on the surface and two Siemens-Schuckert double-acting electric motors with a total of 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts each with a 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propeller, which gave the boat a top surface speed of 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph), and 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 8,790 nautical miles (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface, and 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) under water. Diving depth was 50 m (164 ft 1 in).[1]

The U-boat was armed with four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried 6 torpedoes. Additionally U-39 was equipped in 1915 with one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun, which was replaced with a 10.5 cm (4.1 in) in 1916/17. The boat's complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted.[1]

Fate

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On 27 April 1918, U-39 sailed from Pola under command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Metzger, for operations in the Western Mediterranean. On 17 May, together with SM UB-50, U-39 operated against a convoy North of Oran, from which it sank the British steamer Sculptor (4,874 GRT) in a submerged attack.

At 13:50 on 18 May, when in a position 36°36′N 00°02′W / 36.600°N 0.033°W / 36.600; -0.033, U-39 was attacked by two French seaplanes. It crash-dived, but when reaching a depth of 12 meters two bombs exploded very close; the after torpedo room flooded, the diving planes were destroyed, and the boat began sinking by the stern. Kptlt. Metzger ordered the tanks blown and U-39 surfaced, but the heavy damage suffered prevented diving again. Metzger was forced to lay a course for the nearest Spanish harbour, Cartagena.

At about 17:00, U-39 was attacked again by two seaplanes; it fought back with gun and machine-guns, and the enemy bombs caused no damage, but during the action two crewmen (sailor Schulz and stoker Hausottl) fell overboard and were lost.

In the evening U-39 reached Cartagena and was interned for the remainder of the war.

It was surrendered to France on 22 March 1919 and was broken up at Toulon in 1923.

Summary of raiding history

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Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 1] Fate[2]
1 May 1915 Balduin   Norway 1,059 Sunk
1 May 1915 Elsa   Sweden 120 Sunk
2 May 1915 St. Louis No. 1   United Kingdom 211 Sunk
2 May 1915 Sunray   United Kingdom 165 Sunk
3 May 1915 Scottish Queen   United Kingdom 125 Sunk
4 May 1915 Elsa   Sweden 329 Sunk
5 May 1915 Sceptre   United Kingdom 166 Sunk
6 May 1915 Truro   United Kingdom 836 Sunk
7 May 1915 Benington   United Kingdom 131 Sunk
10 May 1915 Olga   Denmark 798 Captured as prize
26 June 1915 Campania   United Kingdom 167 Sunk
29 June 1915 Cambuskenneth   Norway 1,924 Sunk
29 June 1915 Kotka   Norway 952 Damaged
30 June 1915 Lomas   United Kingdom 3,048 Sunk
1 July 1915 Caucasian   United Kingdom 4,656 Sunk
1 July 1915 Craigard   United Kingdom 3,286 Sunk
1 July 1915 Gadsby   United Kingdom 3,497 Sunk
1 July 1915 Inglemoor   United Kingdom 4,331 Sunk
1 July 1915 Richmond   United Kingdom 3,214 Sunk
2 July 1915 Hirondelle   France 183 Sunk
2 July 1915 Boduognat   Belgium 1,411 Sunk
2 July 1915 City of Edinburgh   United Kingdom 6,255 Damaged
3 July 1915 Fiery Cross   Norway 1,448 Sunk
3 July 1915 Larchmore   United Kingdom 4,355 Sunk
3 July 1915 Renfrew   United Kingdom 3,488 Sunk
4 July 1915 Anglo-Californian   United Kingdom 7,333 Damaged
2 September 1915 William T. Lewis   United Kingdom 2,166 Damaged
9 September 1915 Cornubia   United Kingdom 1,736 Sunk
9 September 1915 L’Aude   France 2,232 Sunk
9 September 1915 Ville De Mostaganem   France 2,648 Sunk
28 September 1915 H. C. Henry   Canada 4,219 Sunk
29 September 1915 Haydn   United Kingdom 3,923 Sunk
30 September 1915 Cirene   Kingdom of Italy 3,236 Sunk
2 October 1915 Sailor Prince   United Kingdom 3,144 Sunk
7 October 1915 Halizones   United Kingdom 5,093 Sunk
8 October 1915 Thorpwood   United Kingdom 3,184 Sunk
9 October 1915 Apollo   United Kingdom 3,774 Sunk
12 October 1915 HMD Restore   Royal Navy 93 Sunk
30 November 1915 Middleton   United Kingdom 2,506 Sunk
3 December 1915 Dante   Kingdom of Italy 889 Sunk
3 December 1915 Helmsmuir   United Kingdom 4,111 Sunk
5 December 1915 Petrolite   United States 3,710 Damaged
5 December 1915 Pietro Lofaro   Kingdom of Italy 517 Sunk
6 December 1915 L. G. Goulandris   Greece 2,123 Sunk
7 December 1915 Veria   United Kingdom 3,229 Sunk
9 December 1915 Busiris   United Kingdom 2,705 Sunk
9 December 1915 Orteric   United Kingdom 6,535 Sunk
10 December 1915 Porto Said   Kingdom of Italy 5,301 Sunk
18 December 1915 HMD Lottie Leask   Royal Navy 94 Sunk
22 January 1916 Norseman   United Kingdom 9,542 Sunk
31 March 1916 Egeo   Kingdom of Italy 1,787 Sunk
31 March 1916 Riposto   Kingdom of Italy 1,003 Sunk
2 April 1916 Simla   United Kingdom 5,884 Sunk
3 April 1916 Clan Campbell   United Kingdom 5,897 Sunk
4 April 1916 Giuseppe Padre   Kingdom of Italy 184 Sunk
4 April 1916 Maria Carmella Findari   Kingdom of Italy 42 Sunk
6 April 1916 Stjerneborg   Denmark 1,592 Sunk
6 April 1916 Colbert   France 5,394 Damaged
9 April 1916 Caledonia   Denmark 1,815 Sunk
13 April 1916 Lipari   Kingdom of Italy 1,539 Sunk
20 May 1916 Redentore   Kingdom of Italy 228 Sunk
20 May 1916 Valsesia   Kingdom of Italy 248 Sunk
21 May 1916 Birmania   Kingdom of Italy 2,384 Sunk
21 May 1916 Rosalia Madre   Kingdom of Italy 251 Sunk
23 May 1916 Hercules   Kingdom of Italy 2,704 Sunk
23 May 1916 Maria Porto Di Salvezza   Kingdom of Italy 39 Sunk
23 May 1916 Teresa Accame   Kingdom of Italy 4,742 Damaged
23 May 1916 Washington   Kingdom of Italy 2,819 Sunk
24 May 1916 Aurrera   Spain 2,845 Sunk
25 May 1916 Fratelli Bandiera   Kingdom of Italy 3,506 Sunk
25 May 1916 Rita   Kingdom of Italy 200 Sunk
27 May 1916 Mar Terso   Kingdom of Italy 3,778 Sunk
27 May 1916 Trunkby   United Kingdom 2,635 Sunk
28 May 1916 Lady Ninian   United Kingdom 4,297 Sunk
29 May 1916 Baron Vernon   United Kingdom 1,779 Sunk
29 May 1916 Elmgrove   United Kingdom 3,018 Sunk
29 May 1916 Southgarth   United Kingdom 2,414 Sunk
30 May 1916 Baron Tweedmouth   United Kingdom 5,007 Sunk
30 May 1916 Dalegarth   United Kingdom 2,265 Sunk
30 May 1916 Hermesberg   Kingdom of Italy 2,884 Sunk
30 May 1916 Rauma   Norway 3,047 Sunk
1 June 1916 Dewsland   United Kingdom 1,993 Sunk
1 June 1916 Salmonpool   United Kingdom 4,905 Sunk
13 July 1916 Silverton   United Kingdom 2,682 Sunk
14 July 1916 Antigua   United Kingdom 2,876 Sunk
14 July 1916 Ecclesia   United Kingdom 3,714 Sunk
15 July 1916 Sylvie   United Kingdom 1,354 Sunk
16 July 1916 Euphorbia   United Kingdom 3,837 Sunk
16 July 1916 Sirra   Kingdom of Italy 3,203 Sunk
16 July 1916 Wiltonhall   United Kingdom 3,387 Sunk
17 July 1916 Angelo   Kingdom of Italy 3,609 Sunk
17 July 1916 Rosemoor   United Kingdom 4,303 Sunk
18 July 1916 Llongwen   United Kingdom 4,683 Sunk
20 July 1916 Cettois   France 974 Sunk
20 July 1916 Grangemoor   United Kingdom 3,198 Sunk
20 July 1916 Karma   United Kingdom 3,710 Sunk
20 July 1916 Yzer   United Kingdom 3,538 Sunk
21 July 1916 Wolf   United Kingdom 2,443 Sunk
22 July 1916 Knutsford   United Kingdom 3,842 Sunk
22 July 1916 Olive   United Kingdom 3,678 Sunk
23 July 1916 Badminton   United Kingdom 3,847 Sunk
24 July 1916 Maria   Kingdom of Italy 198 Sunk
29 July 1916 Letimbro   Kingdom of Italy 2,210 Sunk
29 July 1916 Rosarina G.V.   Kingdom of Italy 131 Sunk
19 October 1916 Penylan   United Kingdom 3,875 Sunk
20 October 1916 Mombassa   United Kingdom 4,689 Sunk
22 October 1916 Cluden   United Kingdom 3,166 Sunk
22 October 1916 Nina   Kingdom of Italy 3,383 Sunk
22 October 1916 Ravn   Norway 998 Sunk
22 October 1916 W. Harkess   United Kingdom 1,185 Sunk
27 November 1916 Margarita   Greece 1,112 Sunk
27 November 1916 Reapwell   United Kingdom 3,417 Sunk
28 November 1916 King Malcolm   United Kingdom 4,351 Sunk
28 November 1916 Moresby   United Kingdom 1,763 Sunk
2 December 1916 Istrar   United Kingdom 4,582 Sunk
3 December 1916 Plata   Kingdom of Italy 1,861 Sunk
9 January 1917 Baynesk   United Kingdom 3,286 Sunk
15 January 1917 Garfield   United Kingdom 3,838 Sunk
28 January 1917 Amiral Magon   France 5,566 Sunk, 203 people killed
14 February 1917 Torino   Kingdom of Italy 4,159 Sunk
15 February 1917 Minas   Kingdom of Italy 2,854 Sunk, 870 people killed
17 February 1917 Ala   Kingdom of Italy 359 Sunk
20 February 1917 Rosalie   United Kingdom 4,237 Sunk
21 February 1917 Wathfield   United Kingdom 3,012 Sunk
22 February 1917 Ville De Bougie   France 508 Sunk
23 February 1917 Trojan Prince   United Kingdom 3,196 Sunk
26 February 1917 Burnby   United Kingdom 3,665 Sunk
3 March 1917 S. Anna S.   Kingdom of Italy 41 Sunk
3 June 1917 Petronilla Madre   Kingdom of Italy 43 Sunk
6 June 1917 Diane   France 590 Sunk
8 June 1917 Huntstrick   United Kingdom 8,151 Sunk
8 June 1917 Isle Of Jura   United Kingdom 3,809 Sunk
8 June 1917 HMML 540   Royal Navy 37 Sunk
8 June 1917 HMML 541   Royal Navy 37 Sunk
8 June 1917 Valdieri   Kingdom of Italy 4,637 Sunk
10 June 1917 Petrolite   United States 3,710 Sunk
11 June 1917 Wera   Russian Empire 476 Sunk
12 June 1917 Gaita   Russian Empire 396 Sunk
15 June 1917 Espinho   Portugal 740 Sunk
19 June 1917 Kyma   Greece 3,420 Sunk
20 June 1917 Eli Lindoe   Norway 1,116 Sunk
22 June 1917 Toro   Uruguay 1,141 Sunk
23 June 1917 Isere   France 2,159 Sunk
29 July 1917 Manchester Commerce   United Kingdom 4,144 Sunk
30 July 1917 Carlo   Kingdom of Italy 5,572 Sunk
30 July 1917 Ganges   United Kingdom 4,177 Sunk
31 July 1917 Carolvore   Norway 1,659 Sunk
31 July 1917 Ypres   United Kingdom 305 Sunk
3 August 1917 Halldor   Norway 2,919 Sunk
5 August 1917 Ryton   United Kingdom 3,991 Sunk
27 September 1917 Swan River   United Kingdom 4,724 Sunk
1 October 1917 Mersario   United Kingdom 3,847 Sunk
1 October 1917 Normanton   United Kingdom 3,862 Sunk
2 October 1917 Almora   United Kingdom 4,385 Sunk
2 October 1917 Hikosan Maru   Japan 3,555 Sunk
2 October 1917 Nuceria   United Kingdom 4,702 Sunk
14 November 1917 Buenaventura   Spain 257 Sunk
18 November 1917 HMS Candytuft   Royal Navy 1,290 Sunk
21 November 1917 Schuylkill   United States 2,720 Sunk
23 November 1917 Markella   Greece 1,124 Sunk
25 November 1917 Karema   United Kingdom 5,263 Sunk
17 May 1918 Sculptor   United Kingdom 4,874 Sunk

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 6.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 39". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

Bibliography

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  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
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  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 39". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net.