# German submarine U-347

68°21′36″N 8°19′48″E﻿ / ﻿68.36000°N 8.33000°E﻿ / 68.36000; 8.33000
German submarine U-347 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was a member of three wolfpacks.
She was on her fourth patrol when she was sunk by a British aircraft on 17 July 1944.
She sank or damaged no ships.

## Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-347 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-347 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

## Service history

The submarine was laid down on 19 October 1942 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden as yard number 219, launched on 21 May 1943 and commissioned on 7 July under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Johahn de Buhr.
U-347 served with the 8th U-boat Flotilla, for training and the 9th flotilla for operations from 1 March 1944. She was reassigned to the 11th flotilla on 1 June 1944.

### First patrol

U-347 had sailed from Kiel in Germany to Stavanger in Norway March 1944, but her first patrol began when she departed Stavanger on 9 May. She arrived at Narvik on the 13th.

### Second patrol

Her second foray began on 15 May 1944 when she departed Narvik (a port she would use as a base for the rest of her career), for the Norwegian Sea. She returned on 8 June.

### Third patrol

U-347 departed Narvik on 23 June 1944; she returned the same day.

### Fourth patrol and loss

The boat had departed Narvik on 3 July 1944. On the 17th, she was sunk by a B-24 Liberator of No. 86 Squadron RAF.
Forty-nine men died in the U-boat's sinking; there were no survivors.

### Previously recorded fate

U-347 was thought to have been sunk on 17 July 1944 west of Narvik by a British PBY Catalina of No. 210 Squadron RAF. The pilot, Flying Officer John Cruickshank, was awarded the Victoria Cross for sinking U-361.

### Wolfpacks

U-347 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
* Trutz (15 – 31 May 1944)
* Grimm (31 May – 6 June 1944)
* Trutz (5 – 10 July 1944)