SM U-31 (Germany)

Last updated
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-31
Ordered29 March 1912
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number191
Laid down12 October 1912
Launched7 January 1914
Commissioned18 September 1914
Fatec. 13 January 1915 – Mined in the North Sea; all hands lost.
General characteristics
Class and type German Type U 31 submarine
Displacement
  • 685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph) (surfaced)
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 8,790  nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 dinghy
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • IV Flotilla
  • 18 September 1914 – 13 January 1915
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Wachendorff [1]
  • 1 August 1914 – 13 January 1915
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: None

SM U-31 [Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-31 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

U-31 sailed from Wilhelmshaven on 13 January 1915 but disappeared shortly thereafter. It was assumed, correctly, she had struck a mine, and sunk with all hands somewhere in the North Sea.

Design

German Type U 31 submarines were double-hulled ocean-going submarines similar to Type 23 and Type 27 subs in dimensions and differed only slightly in propulsion and speed. They were considered very good high seas boats with average manoeuvrability and good surface steering. [2]

U-31 had an overall length of 64.70 m (212 ft 3 in), her pressure hull was 52.36 m (171 ft 9 in) long. The boat's beam was 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a), while the pressure hull measured 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in). Type 31s had a draught of 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in) with a total height of 7.68–8.04 m (25 ft 2 in – 26 ft 5 in). The boats displaced a total of 971 tonnes (956 long tons); 685 t (674 long tons) when surfaced and 878 t (864 long tons) when submerged. [2]

U-31 was fitted with two Germania 6-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines with a total of 1,850 metric horsepower (1,361  kW ; 1,825  bhp ) for use on the surface and two Siemens-Schuckert double-acting electric motors with a total of 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts each with a 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propeller, which gave the boat a top surface speed of 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph), and 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) when submerged. Cruising range was 8,790 nautical miles (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on the surface, and 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) under water. Diving depth was 50 m (164 ft 1 in). [2]

The U-boat was armed with four 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes, two fitted in the bow and two in the stern, and carried 6 torpedoes. The boat's complement was 4 officers and 31 enlisted. [2]

Wreck discovery

The wreck of U-31 had been discovered in 2012 about 55 miles (89 km) off the coast of East Anglia during surveys made in preparation for the construction of an offshore wind farm. However, the wreck was not formally identified until 9 September 2015 when the Dutch Lamlash wreck-diving team discovered the hull number engraved on a salvaged item of navigation equipment. [3]

Summary

2012: Wreck found during sonar survey by Fugro for Offshore Windfarm Project by Scottish Power Renewables

2013 and 2014: Wreck surveyed by RNLNavy with divers and sonar in the course of the search for the wreck of HNLMS O13, lost on patrol in June 1940 in the North Sea. This wreck could be classified as a World War I SM U-31 series U-boat

2015: Wreck positively identified by Dutch divers from mv Lamlash - Haarlem as the SM U-31 (Hull number found on a “Fahrt Tabelle” (Manoeuvring Settings Table)).[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

SM UC-41 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 13 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 11 October 1916 as SM UC-41.

SM U-90 was a Type U-87 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I. Its commander Walter Remy made regular stops at remote island North Rona for provisions such as fresh mutton. On 15 May 1918, U-90 shelled the Hirta wireless station in St Kilda, Scotland. On 31 May 1918, U-90 torpedoed and sank USS President Lincoln, a former Hamburg America Line steamer that had been seized by the United States for troop transportation. From the U.S. Navy crew that abandoned the sinking vessel, U-90 captured Lieutenant Edouard Izac, eventually taking him to Germany. Izac later escaped German captivity and reported to the US Navy about German submarine movements.

SM UC-11 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 23 November 1914, laid down on 26 January 1915, and was launched on 11 April 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 23 April 1915 as SM UC-11. Mines laid by UC-11 in her 83 patrols were credited with sinking 27 ships. UC-11 was mined and sunk on 26 June 1918. A crew member was Rudolf Finkler from Oberlinxweiler, Kreis St. Wendel, Germany. According to his death record the boat went down in the North Sea near Harwich, abt. 2.5 nautical miles north east of Funk Feuerschiff on position 51°55′N1°41′E.

SM UC-12 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I.

SM UB-30 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 16 November 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 March 1916 as SM UB-30.

SM UB-31 was a German Type UB II submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 22 July 1915 and launched on 16 November 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 March 1916 as SM UB-31.

SM UC-20 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 1 April 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 7 September 1916 as SM UC-20. In 13 patrols UC-20 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-20 was surrendered on 16 January 1919 and broken up at Preston in 1919–20.

SM UC-45 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 20 October 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 November 1916 as SM UC-45. In five patrols UC-45 was credited with sinking 12 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-45 sank in a diving accident on 17 September 1917 in the North Sea. The German salvage vessel Vulkan raised the wreck and UC-45 re-entered service on 24 October 1918. She was surrendered on 24 November 1918 and broken up at Preston in 1919–20.

SM UC-51 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 5 December 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 6 January 1917 as SM UC-51. In seven patrols UC-51 was credited with sinking 28 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-51 was mined and sunk in the English Channel on 17 November 1917.

SM UC-55 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916, laid down on 25 February 1916, and was launched on 2 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 November 1916 as SM UC-55.

SM UC-65 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 8 July 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 7 November 1916 as SM UC-65. In eleven patrols UC-65 was credited with sinking 106 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-65 was torpedoed and sunk by HMS C15 on 3 November 1917.

SM UC-70 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 7 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 20 November 1916 as SM UC-70. In ten patrols UC-70 was credited with sinking 33 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. On 28 August 1918, UC-70 was spotted lying submerged on the sea bottom and attacked by a Blackburn Kangaroo patrol aircraft of No. 246 Squadron RAF and then was then sunk by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Ouse. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

SM UC-79 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I.

SM U-82 was a Type U 81 U-boat of the Imperial German Navy during World War I.

SM U-80 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-80 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

SM U-87 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-87 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. She sank some 22 merchant vessels before 25 December 1917, when HMS Buttercup rammed U-87 in the Irish Sea and depth-charged her. Then the P-class sloop P.56 sank her. U-87's entire crew of 44 were lost.

SM U-97 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-97 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic. The German unit sank by accident on her way to surrender at position 53°25′N3°10′E.

SM U-98 was a Type U 93 submarine and one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-98 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

SM U-107 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-107 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

SM U-37 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-37 was engaged in naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.

Citations

  1. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Siegfried Wachendorff". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, p. 6.
  3. ↑ Gosden, Emily (20 January 2016). "WW1 U-boat mystery solved after wreck discovered by offshore wind farm developers". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.