SM U-43 (Germany)

SM U-43[Note 1] was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She engaged in commerce warfare in the First Battle of the Atlantic, performing 11 patrols from 1915–1918.

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-43.
History
German Empire
NameU-43
Ordered10 July 1913
BuilderKaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number21
Launched26 September 1914
Commissioned30 April 1915
FateSurrendered 20 November 1918; scrapped 1919.
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeType U-43 submarine
Displacement
  • 725 t (714 long tons) surfaced
  • 940 t (930 long tons) submerged
Length65 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)
Height8.70 m (28 ft 7 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[3]
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • Unknown – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt. Hellmuth Jürst
  • 30 April 1915 – 16 May 1917
  • Kptlt. Waldemar Bender
  • 17 May 1917 – 17 April 1918
  • Kptlt. Johannes Kirchner
  • 18 April – 11 November 1918
Operations: 11 patrols
Victories:
  • 44 merchant ships sunk
    (112,643 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (1,680 GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships taken as prize
    (356 GRT)

U-43 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 20 November 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. She was sold (without engines, removed at Chatham) by the British Admiralty to George Cohen on 3 March 1919 for £2,400, and was broken up at Swansea from May 1919 and 1922.[4]

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage[Note 2] Fate[5]
21 March 1916 Aranmore  United Kingdom 1,050 Sunk
24 March 1916 Englishman  United Kingdom 5,257 Sunk
26 September 1916 Dania  Norway 862 Sunk
26 September 1916 Knut Hilde  Norway 1,632 Sunk
28 September 1916 Rolf Jarl  Norway 1,265 Sunk
29 September 1916 Knut Jarl  Norway 1,070 Sunk
29 September 1916 Nesjar  Norway 1,609 Sunk
30 September 1916 Fancy  Norway 1,612 Sunk
3 October 1916 J. Y. Short  United Kingdom 2,193 Sunk
3 October 1916 Tourgai  Russian Empire 4,281 Sunk
10 October 1916 Gardepee  United Kingdom 1,633 Sunk
11 October 1916 Bistritza  Romania 3,688 Sunk
17 October 1916 Edam  Norway 2,381 Sunk
22 January 1917 Duc D’aumale  France 2,189 Sunk
23 January 1917 Jevington  United Kingdom 2,747 Sunk
23 January 1917 Donstad  Norway 699 Sunk
28 January 1917 Foz Do Douro  Portugal 1,677 Sunk
28 January 1917 Fulton  Norway 1,034 Sunk
31 January 1917 Rigel  Norway 2,671 Sunk
3 February 1917 Hollinside  United Kingdom 2,862 Sunk
3 February 1917 Songelv  Norway 2,064 Sunk
3 February 1917 Wasdale  Norway 1,856 Sunk
4 February 1917 Turino  United Kingdom 4,241 Sunk
9 February 1917 Famiglia  Kingdom of Italy 2,942 Sunk
16 April 1917 Anne  Denmark 240 Sunk
16 April 1917 Endymion  Russian Empire 1,345 Sunk
16 April 1917 Towergate  United Kingdom 3,697 Sunk
20 April 1917 August  Russian Empire 1,596 Sunk
20 April 1917 San Hilario  United Kingdom 10,157 Sunk
22 April 1917 Woodward Abrahams  United States 744 Sunk
24 April 1917 Cordelia  Sweden 613 Sunk
25 April 1917 Abosso  United Kingdom 7,782 Sunk
26 April 1917 Ehrglis  Russian Empire 238 Sunk
26 April 1917 Hektoria  Norway 5,002 Sunk
3 May 1917 Emma  Netherlands 183 Captured as prize
3 May 1917 Concordia  Netherlands 173 Captured as prize
4 June 1917 Juno  Norway 1,169 Sunk
10 June 1917 Haulwen  United Kingdom 4,032 Sunk
11 June 1917 Teviotdale  United Kingdom 3,847 Sunk
19 June 1917 Tunisie  France 3,246 Sunk
18 September 1917 HMS Glenfoyle  Royal Navy 1,680 Sunk
28 December 1917 Magellan  France 6,265 Sunk
27 July 1918 Subadar  United Kingdom 4,911 Sunk
3 August 1918 Maceio  Brazil 3,739 Sunk
3 August 1918 Vouga  Portugal 96 Sunk
15 October 1918 Bretagne  France 316 Sunk
19 October 1918 Aida  Portugal 93 Sunk

References

Notes
  1. "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations
  1. Gröner 1991, pp. 8–10.
  2. Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "U-Boats (1905-18)", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, "(Phoebus Publishing, 1978), Volume 23, p.2534.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 43". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  4. Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: the fate of enemy fleets after the two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 43". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

Bibliography
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 43". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

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