SM U-24

Last updated

U-Boot U-24 der kaiserlichen deutschen Kriegsmarine.Scan von einer alten Postkarte meine Grosseltern von 1914 aus dem Nachlass.jpg
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-24
Ordered18 March 1911
Builder Germaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number178
Laid down5 February 1912
Launched24 May 1913
Commissioned6 December 1913
Fate
  • Surrendered, 22 November 1918
  • Broken up, 1922
General characteristics
Class and type German Type U 23 submarine
Displacement
  • 669  t (658 long tons) surfaced
  • 864 t (850 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212.3 ft)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × Germania 6-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,800 PS (1,320 kW; 1,780 shp)
  • 2 × SSW double Motordynamos with 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,180 shp)
  • 450rpm surfaced
  • 330 rpm submerged
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,910  nmi (18,350 km; 11,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depthabout 50 m (160 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 dingi
Complement4 officers, 31 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 1 August 1914 – 11 August 1917
  • Training Flotilla
  • 24 August 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Rudolf Schneider [1]
  • 6 December 1913 – 3 June 1916
  • Kptlt. Walter Remy [2]
  • 4 June 1916 – 10 July 1917
  • Kptlt. Otto von Schubert [3]
  • 11 July – 1 August 1917
Operations: 7 patrols
Victories:
  • 33 merchant ships sunk
    (105,948  GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (15,000 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (174  GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,318  GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship taken as prize
    (1,925  GRT)

SM U-24 was one of 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was engaged in commerce warfare during the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

In seven patrols, U-24 sank a total of 33 merchant ships and 1 auxiliary warship totalling 106,122  GRT and one warship for 15,000 tons, damaged three merchant ships for 14,318 GRT, and took one merchant ship as prize of 1,925 GRT. [4]

Her second kill was the most significant. The victim was HMS Formidable, torpedoed 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) south of Lyme Regis, at 50°13′N03°04′W / 50.217°N 3.067°W / 50.217; -3.067 . She was hit in the number one boiler room on the port side. Out of a crew of approximately 711 men, 547 died as a result. This was one of the largest ships sunk by U-boats during the war. [5]

In 1915, U-24 claimed another noted victim, the passenger steamer Arabic, causing 44 deaths, including three Americans. Arabic sank in 10 minutes. This escalated the U-boat fear in the U.S. and caused a diplomatic incident which resulted in the suspension of torpedoing non-military ships without notice. [6]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 1] Fate [7]
26 October 1914 Amiral Ganteaume Flag of France.svg  France 4,590Damaged
1 January 1915 HMS Formidable Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 15,000Sunk
2 April 1915 Lochwood Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,042Sunk
4 April 1915 City of Bremen Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,258Sunk
10 April 1915 The President Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 647Sunk
11 April 1915 Frederic Franck Flag of France.svg  France 973Damaged
27 June 1915 Edith Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 97Sunk
27 June 1915 Indrani Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,640Sunk
27 June 1915 Lucena Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 243Sunk
28 June 1915 Dumfriesshire Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,622Sunk
28 June 1915 Armenian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,825Sunk
30 June 1915 Scottish Monarch Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,043Sunk
30 June 1915 Thistlebank Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2,411Sunk
1 July 1915 L. C. Tower Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 518Sunk
1 July 1915 Sardomene Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy 2,000Sunk
1 July 1915 Welbury Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,591Sunk
6 July 1915 Ellen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 169Sunk
7 August 1915 Geiranger Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,081Sunk
12 August 1915 Osprey Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 310Sunk
13 August 1915 Cairo Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,671Sunk
19 August 1915 Arabic Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 15,801Sunk
19 August 1915 Dunsley Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,930Sunk
19 August 1915 New York City Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 2,970Sunk
19 August 1915 St. Olaf Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 277Sunk
24 August 1915 Sinsen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,925Captured as prize
25 December 1915 Van Stirum Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,284Sunk
26 December 1915 Cottingham Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 513Sunk
26 December 1915 Ministre Bernaert Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 4,215Sunk
28 December 1915 Huronian Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 8,755Damaged
28 December 1915 El Zorro Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,989Sunk
11 July 1916 HMT Nellie Nutten Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 174Sunk
30 October 1916 Nellie Bruce Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 192Sunk
10 December 1916 Agder Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 305Sunk
21 March 1917 Stanley Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,987Sunk
22 March 1917 Svendsholm Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,998Sunk
27 March 1917 Glenogle Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 7,682Sunk
28 March 1917 Cannizaro Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,133Sunk
18 June 1917 Elele Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,557Sunk
18 June 1917 English Monarch Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 4,947Sunk

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References

Notes

  1. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations

  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Rudolf Schneider (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Remy (Royal House Order of Hohenzollern)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Otto von Schubert". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 24". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  5. Rickard, J. (1 November 2007). "HMS Formidable". historyofwar.org. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "3. Escalation - The U-boat War in World War One". German and Austrian U-Boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  7. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 24". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

Further reading