U-47

The plastic model of the German U-47 submarine was made in 1:125 scale from the Revell kit. The work was presented at the 11th International Festival of Plastic Reduction Models Bytom 2014.

The ship was launched on October 29, 1937. She made 10 combat patrols.

The boat became famous for the sinking the HMS Royal Oak battleship at Scapa Flow, a British naval base. She entered it on October 14, 1939, taking advantage of the fact that the British removed the old rusty barrier net, wanting to replace it with a new one. To this day, we do not know whether it was a coincidence or a success of German intelligence, which could read British ciphers.

The U-47 sank 30 merchant ships and damaged 8 apart from the HMS Royal Oak battleship. The boat disappeared without trace around March 7, 1941 when she had made his last report. The submarine was then south of Iceland hunting the "OB. 293" convoy. The reasons for the sinking of the ship are unknown.

Specifications:

• Length: 66.5 m (218⅕ ft),
• Width: 6.2 m (20.34 ft),
• Test immersion: 220 m (722 ft),
• Powerplant:
  • two 6-cylinder diesel engines with 1,400 hp each (1 MW),
  • two electric motors with of 375 hp each (276 kW),
• Max speed:
  • Max speed: 17.8 kn (33 km/h, 20.48 mph) surfaced,
  • Max speed: 8 kn (14.8 km/h, 17 mph) submerged,
• Range:
  • 9,700 Mm at speed 10 kn (17,964 km at speed 18.52 km/h) surfaced,
  • 90 Mm at speed 4 kn (167 km at speed 7.4 km/h) submerged,
• Crew: 45.

Armament:

• Torpedo tubes (533 mm, 21 in): four in the bow and one in the stern,
• Torpedoes: 14,
• 88 mm (3.46 in) gun (250 rounds),
• 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun (4380 rounds),
• She could take 33 TMB or 22 TMA mines instead of torpedoes.

Sources:

• https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-47_(1938)
• http://www.ops.mil.pl/sensacje-xx-wieku/88-duch-ze-scapa-flow
• "U-booty typu VII" Przemysław Federowicz
  • www.okretywojenne.pl/ow/download/index.php?did=47
  • www.okretywojenne.pl/ow/download/index.php?did=90

16 May 2014