SM U-24
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | U-24 |
| Ordered | 18 March 1911 |
| Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number | 178 |
| Laid down | 5 February 1912 |
| Launched | 24 May 1913 |
| Commissioned | 6 December 1913 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | German Type U 23 submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 64.70 m (212.3 ft) |
| Beam | 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) |
| Draught | 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | about 50 m (160 ft) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 1 dingi |
| Complement | 4 officers, 31 men |
| Armament |
|
| Service record | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: | |
| Operations: | 7 patrols |
| Victories: | |
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. 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
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 24". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ Rickard, J. (1 November 2007). "HMS Formidable". historyofwar.org. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.