SM U-49 was the seventh U-boat of the SM U-43 class. She was ordered on August 4, 1914 and was put into the III Flotilla August 7, 1916. Over the course of her career she had sunk 38 ships for a total of over 86,000 tons, of those, none were naval ships. Her only commander was Kapitänleutnant Richard Hartmann who led the boat throughout its entire life until the day she was sunk on September 11, 1917.