U-48: The Most Successful U-Boat of the Second World War

U-48's remarkable wartime record reshaped submarine warfare and highlighted humanitarian decisions at sea.

Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Germany was not permitted to build or operate submarines. However, clandestine training took place on Finnish and Spanish submarines and U-boats were still built to German designs in Dutch yards.

At the outset of the Second World War, Admiral Karl Dönitz argued for a 300-strong U-boat fleet, since his force of fifty-seven assorted U-boats could not materially affect British seaborne trade on their own. In August 1939, U-48 left Germany, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert 'Vaddi' Schultze, to take up a waiting position around the British coast.

It scored its first success on 5 September, when it torpedoed the British freighter Royal Sceptre, followed by Winkleigh on 8 September. On both occasions, the first of many, Schultze showed himself to be a notable humanitarian: he addressed signals to Churchill giving positions of the sinkings so that crews could be saved.

By 1 August 1941, U-48, the most successful U-boat of the Second World War, had sunk fifty-six merchant ships, of 322,478 gross tons, and one corvette. She was then transferred to the Baltic as a training boat. Schultze became commander of operations at 3 U-Flotilla, before being appointed commander of II/Naval College Schleswig. He died in 1987 at the age of 78.

U-48 was scuttled on 3 May 1945.