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U 47 Modifications & Colours

A grill was added on the starboard side, beneath the front of the round wintergarten area (D4). The addition of the wintergarten had blocked over some of the ventilation holes on the starboard side, so a grill with vertical bars was chosen as a replacement for the holes in this area. This allowed just as much, if not more, air to be accessed by the diesel intakes. Presumably a similar grill was not in place on the port side.

The grill with vertical bars can be seen behind Prien in this 6th July photo.

U 47’s first depth-charge attack, on the 29th November, caused a leak in interior fuel bunker II. The leak worsened during the patrol, and necessitated repairs during this refit (D5). The leak was thought to have been repaired in mid-January, but late in the month, when pressure was again applied, a further leak was found. In the opinion of the Germaniawerft shipyards personnel, the leak had occurred due to depth-charges. Late in January 1940, the GHG (Gruppenhorchgerät – group listening apparatus) hydrophones developed short circuits due to the freezing weather, and needed to be repaired (D6).

Both of the magnetic compasses failed to function properly during the third patrol, though the main gyrocompass had still been operational. Repairs were made on the morning of the 5th December 1939. It is possible that these makeshift repairs were the only repairs made. Shortly after U 47 left Kiel, on the 2nd March, the magnetic compasses again ceased to function.

Other modifications to U 47 at this time included:

- only one jumping wire attachment point was present on each side of the conning tower rather than two (D7).

- a very small fairlead was added to both trailing edges of the conning tower bulwarks (D8).

- the rear navigation light was altered (D9).

The conning tower and upper hull remained in Dunkelgrau 51.

8th/9th March 1940

At Schillig-Reede in Wilhelmshaven, on the afternoon of the 8th March 1940, U 47 was fitted with a new 20mm MG C/30 anti-aircraft gun (E1). The new gun featured a different gunsight and a waterproof barrel. Modifications were also made to the radios (E2) on the following day, the 9th March, at the U-boat base in Wilhelmshaven.

March/April 1940

Small repairs were made to U 47 at the Westwerft shipyards in Wilhelmshaven between the 30th March 1940 and the 1st April 1940. The boat was dry-docked in dock II during this period.