page_title: German submarine U-47 (1938)
section_title: Third patrol
hierarchical_section_title: German submarine U-47 (1938) / Service history / Third patrol
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Die britische Arandora_Star 1940 als Marinetransporter
context_page_description: German submarine U-47 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's navy during World War II. She was laid down on 25 February 1937 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel as yard number 582 and went into service on 17 December 1938 under the command of Günther Prien.
  During U-47's career, she sank a total of 31 enemy vessels and damaged eight more, including the British battleship HMS Royal Oak on 14 October 1939. U-47 ranks as one of the most successful German U-boats of World War II.
context_section_description: Following a lavish celebration in Berlin for the sinking of HMS Royal Oak in which the crew members of U-47 were received by Adolf Hitler and decorated, the boat returned to sea on 16 November 1939. Once the U-boat had left Kiel on 16 November, she headed out into the North Sea. After traveling around the British Isles into the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, U-47 sank a further three vessels, Navasota on 5 December, the Norwegian steamer MV Britta on 6 December and Tajandoen on 7 December. Following the sinking of Navasota, British destroyers briefly fired depth charges at the U-boat but she managed to safely evade the attack without any damage.
caption: SS Arandora Star lost 2 July 1940
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