page_title: German submarine U-29 (1936)
section_title: Service history
hierarchical_section_title: German submarine U-29 (1936) / Service history
caption_attribution_description: Shipping losses: HMS COURAGEOUS sinking after being torpedoed by German submarine U 29.
context_page_description: German submarine U-29 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
  She was laid down on 2 January 1936, launched on 29 August and commissioned on 10 November. During her career U-29 was involved in seven war patrols under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart.
context_section_description: U-29 was responsible for the first British warship sunk in the war by enemy action, the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous, on 17 September 1939. Three days earlier U-39 had attempted to torpedo HMS Ark Royal, but missed and was sunk by three British destroyers. Two years later U-81 hit Ark Royal with one torpedo, sinking her, but with the loss of only one life.
  The commander of the German submarine force, Commodore Karl Dönitz, regarded the sinking of Courageous as "a wonderful success" and it led to widespread jubilation in the Kriegsmarine (German navy). Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, commander of the Kriegsmarine, directed that Schuhart be awarded the Iron Cross First Class and that all other members of the U-29 crew receive the Iron Cross Second Class.
  During U-29's  career, she sank twelve ships, totaling 67,277 gross register tons (GRT) and one warship of 22,500 tons. At the beginning of 1941, U-29 was removed from front line duty and reassigned to the 24th U-boat Flotilla as a training submarine. The U-boat was used in this role until 17 April 1944 when the she was decommissioned and used for instruction.
caption: HMS Courageous sinking after being torpedoed by U-29
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