The boat was ready for its first patrol shortly before the new year and, after visiting the U-boat base in Bergen, U-147 was ordered to patrol the convoy routes north of the Hebrides.
Kapal tersebut siap untuk patroli perdana sebelum tahun baru, dan setelah mampir di pangkalan U-Boat di Bergen, U-147 diperintahkan berpatroli di rute konvoi sebelah utara kepulauan Hebrides.