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U 47 Modifications & Colours

Further modifications at this time are as follows:

- rungs were added on top of air trunks (H2).

- a short ladder was fitted between the two air trunks and the deck (H3).

- an additional three bars, in a triangular shape, were added to the forward deck railings (H4).

- in order to help prevent crewmembers from falling overboard, two wires were added per side from the forward deck railings to the aft deck railings (H5).

- the wooden seats on the aft deck railings were removed, leaving only the supports remaining (H6).

The large air trunk on the starboard side (another was present on the port side) and the grill are apparent in this 3rd November 1940 image of U 47. The pattern of the square drainage holes on the floor of the wintergarten are also noteworthy since they cannot usually be seen in most photos.

Taken on the same day as the image above, this photo allows us to see features H4, H5 and H6.

September/October 1940

U 47’s next overhaul and repair took place in the Marinewerft shipyards in Lorient between the 27th September 1940 and the 14th October 1940. The boat was in dry-dock between the 4th October and the 9th October, and a test run was completed on the 12th October. The departure of the 8th patrol was due to take place on the 13th October, but the torpedo attack computer ceased to function. A mechanic with spares travelled from Kiel to solve the problem, which was rectified on the 14th October. The paint colour on the upper hull and conning tower of U 47 was changed to a darker grey at some stage. This change may have occurred during the July/August 1940 refit in Kiel, or it may have occurred during the September/October 1940 refit in Lorient. If the change of shipyard from Kiel to Lorient was the reason for the alteration in upper colour, then the September/October 1940 refit seems more likely. The darker grey was possibly the petrol-proof camouflage paint Schlickgrau 58. This medium-to-dark grey (which had a touch of green) Kriegsmarine colour had no direct RAL equivalent during the war years, and was slightly darker than FS36134. Another possibility is the less common and slightly darker Blaugrau 58/1. This Kriegsmarine paint, which also had no direct RAL equivalent during the war years, was darker than FS36152. The upper hull and conning tower of U 47 remained in this shade of grey thereafter.

The upper colour of U 47 from the September/October 1940 refit until the boat’s demise in March 1941 may have been Schlickgrau 58.

The darker grey colour and the air trunking can be seen on U 47’s conning tower in this photo. The spray deflector, being a horizontal surface, was painted black.