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INDIVIDUAL SHIP

SM U-40

SM U-40 was a member of the Type U 31.

Type U 31Imperial German NavyGermanyDreadnought and World War IVerified subject image
The arrive of the U40 submarine from Pola to Venice in 1919
The arrive of the U40 submarine from Pola to Venice in 1919I scan it from an old picture made by a died soldier of the ww1. I inherited a picture album from his son (that is already died). · CC BY-SA 4.0Image source
ClassType U 31
NavyImperial German Navy
CountryGermany
Builder / shipyardGermaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down1912
Launched1914-10-22
Completed1915-02
Recorded statusSunk

Overview

SM U-40 was a member of the Type U 31.

SM U-40 is associated with Germany and Imperial German Navy. It belonged to Type U 31, so the class page provides the shared design history while this page concentrates on the individual ship.

Construction and identity

The available construction record identifies SM U-40 as built by Germaniawerft, Kiel, laid down on 1912, launched on 1914-10-22, and completed on 1915-02.

The ship's documented identity includes alternate or later names U-40 and service with Imperial German Navy.

Service history

Served as an oceangoing German U-boat during World War I; individual boats ranged from early losses to highly successful commerce-raiding careers.

The ship's configuration should be interpreted through the documented class and the dates attached to this individual vessel; equipment should not be assumed to have remained unchanged throughout service.

Class context: Type U 31

The Type U 31 was a prewar German diesel-electric submarine class that became one of the important oceangoing U-boat types of the early war.

As a member of Type U 31, SM U-40 shared the class's documented design framework and intended roles of Commerce raiding and Fleet support. Individual refits, transfers, and wartime changes belong to this ship only when separately documented.

Later service and disposition

sunk by British forces. The associated date is 1915-06-23. The recorded location is North Sea.

SM U-40 matters as an individual career within Type U 31, allowing class-wide design history to be separated from this ship's own construction, identities, service, and fate.

This ship is recorded as a member of Type U 31. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.

Sources and further reading

  1. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921Conway Maritime Press
  2. German Warships, 1815–1945, Volume Two: U-Boats and Mine Warfare VesselsNaval Institute Press
  3. U31 submarines (1914–1915) ↗Navypedia · accessed 2026-09-18
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