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U 47 Modifications & Colours

December 1939 to February 1940

U 47 entered the Germaniawerft shipyards in Kiel for a refit and overhaul in late December 1939, and did not leave until late February 1940. No work was done between the 27th December 1939 and the 13th January 1940 due to the festive holidays. In January and February 1940, the boat was present in DWK Dock XI.

The original Type VIIs (also known as VIIAs) and early VIIBs such as U 47 had their 20mm Flak gun mounted on the aft deck. This site had the following disadvantages – the bridge created a dead zone, it took time to get the gun into action, and it took time for the crew to get inside the U-boat in an emergency. For these reasons, it was decided to move the Flak gun to the aft end of U 47’s conning tower (D1) during this refit. The cartridge tray on the starboard side of the 20mm mount - which held five 20mm cartridges – was removed when the Flak gun was re-sited to the rear of the tower (D2) to allow easier movement around the wintergarten.

The rear of U 47’s conning tower was greatly enlarged to accommodate the 20mm (D3). The newly-added wintergarten was typical of those found on early Type VIICs. The railings curved around in a circular shape to follow the much-wider circular-shaped tower floor.

U 47’s newly-modified tower on the 29th February 1940.

Since the rear of the tower was significantly larger than before, the rearmost vertical railing stanchion was located farther aft than it had been earlier. It was so much farther aft that the trailing edge of U 47’s new wintergarten-style tower sloped in the opposite direction than before. Also, the angle of the trailing edge of U 47’s new tower was the opposite to the angle of the trailing edge of early VIIC towers. In fact, the angle of the trailing edge is one noticeable external difference that allows us to differentiate between a VIIB (with the 20mm on the wintergarten) and a VIIC.

These images show how the angle of the trailing edge of U 47’s conning tower changed in the December 1939 – February 1940 refit. Comparisons in this area can be made between U 47 on the 23rd October 1939, U 47 late in her career, and the famous Type VIIC U 96.

Another 6th July image, this photo illustrates how the new wintergarten railings protruded out much farther than the old style tower railings.

The small square-shaped holes in the new conning tower floor had a pattern similar to that of U 99. This pattern differed slightly at the circular wintergarten area of the tower from that which was present upon the later VIIB U 86, and VIICs. The square–shaped holes on U 86 and VIICs were arranged in seven groups around the 20mm Flak gun, with the columns of each group pointing towards the gun mount. On the rear deck of U 47 and U 99, the square holes were arranged in four groups around the 20mm Flak gun instead. On U 86 and VIICs each group of holes reached almost to the edge of the circular floor. However, at the rear of U 47’s tower each group of holes stopped three or four inches from the edge of the circular floor.