Kriegsmarine U-47, sinking the British battleship HMS Royal Oak The U-47, is considered to be one of the most successful boats of Second World war. A German attack U-boat Type VIIB, was laid down by Germaniawerft, Kiel, on February 27, 1937; and commissioned on December 17, 1938 with Oberleutnant Günther Prien in command.   Günther Prien was one of the most successful, highly decorated U-boat Capitan of the Kriegsmarine. On October 14, 1939 the boat made its incredible raid on Scapa Flow sinking the British battleship HMS Royal Oak. During her ten war patrols she was credited with thirty-one ships sunk for a total of 191,918tons and eight ships damaged for a total of 62,751tons. Missing, with all hands lost, since March 7, 1941 in the North Atlantic near the Rockall Banks in approximate position 60.00N, 19.00W. For years was it believed that the British destroyer HMS Wolverine sank U-47 after depth charges attacks, but the Wolverine actually attacked another U-boat. Possible reasons for the loss of U-47 include mines, hit by its own torpedoes or an attack by British corvettes HMS Camellia and Arbutus. Back to HIstory Index Image Country Year Description Guinea 2006 Nautile exploring the Titanic, U- 47 and Royal Oak (Scapa Flow 1939) in margin of ss Malawi 2010 U-47(German U-boat type VIIB, World War II era, 1938)