World War I
This list contains the 5 most successful German U-boats during the First World War based on total tonnage. Only sunk commercial vessels are included, not military (warships) nor damaged ships.
| Boat | Type | Commissioned | Total tonnage |
Ships sunk |
Patrols | Fate | Captains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM U-35 | Type U 31 | 3 November 1914 | 539,741 | 224 | 17 | Surrendered, 26 November 1918 | Waldemar Kophamel Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière Ernst von Voigt Heino von Heimburg |
| SM U-39 | Type U 31 | 13 January 1915 | 404,478 | 154 | 19 | Surrendered, 22 March 1919 | Hans Kratzsch Walter Forstmann Heinrich Metzger |
| SM U-38 | Type U 31 | 15 December 1914 | 299,985 | 137 | 17 | Surrendered, 23 February 1919 | Max Valentiner Wilhelm Canaris Hans Heinrich Wurmbach Clemens Wickel |
| SM U-34 | Type U 31 | 5 October 1914 | 262,886 | 121 | 17 | Missing, 9 November 1918 | Claus Rücker Wilhelm Canaris Johannes Klasing |
| SM U-33 | Type U 31 | 27 September 1914 | 229,598 | 84 | 16 | Surrendered, 16 January 1919 | Konrad Gansser Gustav Sieß Hellmuth von Doemming |
Read more about this topic: List Of Successful U-boats
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