SM U-24

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-24.

History
German Empire
NameU-24
Ordered18 March 1911
BuilderGermaniawerft, 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 typeGerman 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)
  • 450 rpm 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 dinghy
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.

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′N 03°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

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

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

  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.