History

Nazi Germany
Name	U-331
Ordered	23 September 1939
Builder	Nordseewerke, Emden
Yard number	203
Laid down	26 January 1940
Launched	20 December 1940
Commissioned	31 March 1941
Fate	Sunk on 17 November 1942
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	4 × 53.3 cm (21 in) bow torpedo tubes 1 x stern torpedo tube 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record^[1]^[2]
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 31 March – 14 October 1941 23rd U-boat Flotilla 15 October 1941 – 14 April 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 15 April – 17 November 1942
Identification codes:	M 37 182
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen 31 March 1941 – 17 November 1942
Operations:	10 patrols: 1st patrol: 2 July – 19 August 1941 2nd patrol: 24 September – 11 October 1941 3rd patrol: 12 November – 3 December 1941 4th patrol: 14 January – 28 February 1942 5th patrol: 4 – 19 April 1942 6th patrol: 9 – 21 May 1942 7th patrol: 25 May – 15 June 1942 8th patrol: 5 – 10 August 1942 9th patrol: 12 August – 19 September 1942 10th patrol: 7 – 17 November 1942
Victories:	1 warship sunk (31,100 tons) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (9,135 GRT) 1 warship damaged (372 tons)

German submarine U-331 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, famous for sinking the battleship HMS Barham.

The submarine was laid down on 26 January 1940 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 December 1940, and commissioned on 31 March 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen. She was tracked by the RAF and crippled before being destroyed by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm on 17 November 1942 with the loss of most of her crew.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-331 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-331 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.^[3]

Service history

First patrol

U-331's first patrol took her from Kiel in Germany on 2 July 1941, out into the mid-Atlantic, before arriving at Lorient in France on 19 August.^[4]

Second patrol

She sailed from Lorient on 24 September and headed into the Mediterranean Sea. There on 10 October she engaged three British tank landing craft off Sidi Barrani, Egypt. After missing with a torpedo, she engaged with her deck gun, slightly damaging HMS TLC-18 (A 18), before breaking off the attack after being hit by 40 mm shells, which wounded two men (one fatally) and damaged the conning tower. She arrived at Salamis, Greece, the next day, 11 October.^[5]

Third patrol-HMS Barham

Sailing from Salamis on 12 November 1941, U-331 returned to the Egyptian coast. On 17 November she landed seven men of the Lehrregiment Brandenburg^[6] east of Ras Gibeisa, on a mission to blow up a railway line near the coast, which failed.^[7] On 25 November 1941, north of Sidi Barrani, U-331 fired three torpedoes into the British Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Barham. As the ship rolled over, her magazines exploded and she quickly sank^[8] with the loss of 861 men, while 395 were rescued.^[9] U-331 returned to Salamis on 3 December, where her commander, Freiherr Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen, was subsequently promoted to Kapitänleutnant and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.^[10]

Fourth and fifth patrol

U-331 left Salamis on 14 January 1942 for another patrol off the Egyptian coast, this time with no success. She then sailed for La Spezia, Italy, arriving on 28 February.^[11]

Her next patrol was the reverse of the previous one, she left La Spezia on 4 April, patrolled the enemy coast, then returned to Salamis on 19 April.^[12]

Sixth to ninth patrol

Her next four patrols were similarly uneventful, operating from Messina, Sicily, and then La Spezia again, from May to September 1942, patrolling the North African coast without success.

Tenth patrol

U-331 departed La Spezia on her final voyage on 7 November 1942 to attack the massed ships of "Operation Torch".^[13] Two days later, on 9 November, U-331 sighted the American 9,135 GRT troopship USS Leedstown (AP-73) off Algiers. The Leedstown had landed troops on the night of 7/8 November, and the next day had been hit by an aerial torpedo from a Ju 88 torpedo bomber of III./KG 26 destroying her steering gear and flooding the after section. U-331 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the ship hitting her with two. Leedstown settled by the bow with a heavy starboard list, and was abandoned, finally sinking two hours later.^[14]

On 13 November U-331 was attacked by an escort ship and was slightly damaged when she dived too deep and hit the sea bed.^[13]

Sinking

U-331 was sunk on 17 November, north of Algiers in position 37°05′N 2°27′E / 37.083°N 2.450°E / 37.083; 2.450.^[1] She had been badly damaged after being attacked by a Lockheed Hudson bomber of No. 500 Squadron RAF, with the forward hatch jammed open, preventing the submarine from diving, and she signalled surrender to the Hudson.^[15] The destroyer HMS Wilton was ordered to seize the submarine, but an airstrike by three Fairey Albacore torpedo-bombers from 820 Naval Air Squadron escorted by two Grumman Martlet fighters of 893 Naval Air Squadron was launched from the British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable against the damaged submarine.^[15] Unaware of any surrender signals, the Martlets strafed U-331 which was then sunk by a torpedo dropped from one of the Albacores.^[16] Of her crew 32 were killed and 17 survived, including her commander.^[17]

Wolfpacks

U-331 took part in one wolfpack, namely:

Goeben (24 – 30 September 1941)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 1]}	Fate^[18]
10 October 1941	HMS TLC-18	Royal Navy	372	Damaged
25 November 1941	HMS Barham	Royal Navy	31,100	Sunk
9 November 1942	USS Leedstown	United States Navy	9,135	Sunk

References

Bibliography

External links

German Type VII submarines

German Type VII submarines
Type VIIA	U-27 U-28 U-29 U-30 U-31 U-32 U-33 U-34 U-35 U-36
Type VIIB	U-45 U-46 U-47 U-48 U-49 U-50 U-51 U-52 U-53 U-54 U-55 U-73 U-74 U-75 U-76 U-83 U-84 U-85 U-86 U-87 U-99 U-100 U-101 U-102
Type VIIC	U-69 U-70 U-71 U-72 U-77 U-78 U-79 U-80 U-81 U-82 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92 U-93 U-94 U-95 U-96 U-97 U-98 U-132 U-133 U-134 U-135 U-136 U-201 U-202 U-203 U-204 U-205 U-206 U-207 U-208 U-209 U-210 U-211 U-212 U-221 U-222 U-223 U-224 U-225 U-226 U-227 U-228 U-229 U-230 U-231 U-232 U-235 U-236 U-237 U-238 U-239 U-240 U-241 U-242 U-243 U-244 U-245 U-246 U-247 U-248 U-249 U-250 U-251 U-252 U-253 U-254 U-255 U-256 U-257 U-258 U-259 U-260 U-261 U-262 U-263 U-264 U-265 U-266 U-267 U-268 U-269 U-270 U-271 U-272 U-273 U-274 U-275 U-276 U-277 U-278 U-279 U-280 U-281 U-282 U-283 U-284 U-285 U-286 U-287 U-288 U-289 U-290 U-291 U-301 U-302 U-303 U-304 U-305 U-306 U-307 U-308 U-309 U-310 U-311 U-312 U-313 U-314 U-315 U-316 U-331 U-332 U-333 U-334 U-335 U-336 U-337 U-338 U-339 U-340 U-341 U-342 U-343 U-344 U-345 U-346 U-347 U-348 U-349 U-350 U-351 U-352 U-353 U-354 U-355 U-356 U-357 U-358 U-359 U-360 U-361 U-362 U-363 U-364 U-365 U-366 U-367 U-368 U-369 U-370 U-371 U-372 U-373 U-374 U-375 U-376 U-377 U-378 U-379 U-380 U-381 U-382 U-383 U-384 U-385 U-386 U-387 U-388 U-389 U-390 U-391 U-392 U-393 U-394 U-396 U-397 U-398 U-399 U-400 U-401 U-402 U-403 U-404 U-405 U-406 U-407 U-408 U-409 U-410 U-411 U-412 U-413 U-414 U-415 U-416 U-417 U-418 U-419 U-420 U-421 U-422 U-423 U-424 U-425 U-426 U-427 U-428 U-429 U-430 U-431 U-432 U-433 U-434 U-435 U-436 U-437 U-438 U-439 U-440 U-441 U-442 U-443 U-444 U-445 U-446 U-447 U-448 U-449 U-450 U-451 U-452 U-453 U-454 U-455 U-456 U-457 U-458 U-465 U-466 U-467 U-468 U-469 U-470 U-471 U-472 U-473 U-475 U-476 U-477 U-478 U-479 U-480 U-481 U-482 U-483 U-484 U-485 U-486 U-551 U-552 U-553 U-554 U-555 U-556 U-557 U-558 U-559 U-560 U-561 U-562 U-563 U-564 U-565 U-566 U-567 U-568 U-569 U-570 U-571 U-572 U-573 U-574 U-575 U-576 U-577 U-578 U-579 U-580 U-581 U-582 U-583 U-584 U-585 U-586 U-587 U-588 U-589 U-590 U-591 U-592 U-593 U-594 U-595 U-596 U-597 U-598 U-599 U-600 U-601 U-602 U-603 U-604 U-605 U-606 U-607 U-608 U-609 U-610 U-611 U-612 U-613 U-614 U-615 U-616 U-617 U-618 U-619 U-620 U-621 U-622 U-623 U-624 U-625 U-626 U-627 U-628 U-629 U-630 U-631 U-632 U-633 U-634 U-635 U-636 U-637 U-638 U-639 U-640 U-641 U-642 U-643 U-644 U-645 U-646 U-647 U-648 U-649 U-650 U-651 U-652 U-653 U-654 U-655 U-656 U-657 U-658 U-659 U-660 U-661 U-662 U-663 U-664 U-665 U-666 U-667 U-668 U-669 U-670 U-671 U-672 U-673 U-674 U-675 U-676 U-677 U-678 U-679 U-680 U-681 U-682 U-683 U-701 U-702 U-703 U-704 U-705 U-706 U-707 U-708 U-709 U-710 U-711 U-712 U-713 U-714 U-715 U-716 U-717 U-718 U-719 U-720 U-721 U-722 U-731 U-732 U-733 U-734 U-735 U-736 U-737 U-738 U-739 U-740 U-741 U-742 U-743 U-744 U-745 U-746 U-747 U-748 U-749 U-750 U-751 U-752 U-753 U-754 U-755 U-756 U-757 U-758 U-759 U-760 U-761 U-762 U-763 U-764 U-765 U-766 U-767 U-768 U-771 U-772 U-773 U-774 U-775 U-776 U-777 U-778 U-779 U-821 U-822 U-825 U-826 U-901 U-903 U-904 U-905 U-907 U-921 U-922 U-923 U-924 U-925 U-926 U-927 U-928 U-951 U-952 U-953 U-954 U-955 U-956 U-957 U-958 U-959 U-960 U-961 U-962 U-963 U-964 U-965 U-966 U-967 U-968 U-969 U-970 U-971 U-972 U-973 U-974 U-975 U-976 U-977 U-978 U-979 U-980 U-981 U-982 U-983 U-984 U-985 U-986 U-987 U-988 U-989 U-990 U-991 U-992 U-993 U-994 U-1051 U-1052 U-1053 U-1054 U-1055 U-1056 U-1057 U-1058 U-1101 U-1102 U-1131 U-1132 U-1161 U-1162 U-1191 U-1192 U-1193 U-1194 U-1195 U-1196 U-1197 U-1198 U-1199 U-1200 U-1201 U-1202 U-1203 U-1204 U-1205 U-1206 U-1207 U-1208 U-1209 U-1210
Type VIIC/41	U-292 U-293 U-294 U-295 U-296 U-297 U-298 U-299 U-300 U-317 U-318 U-319 U-320 U-321 U-322 U-323 U-324 U-325 U-326 U-327 U-328 U-691 U-827 U-828 U-929 U-930 U-995 U-997 U-998 U-999 U-1000 U-1001 U-1002 U-1003 U-1004 U-1005 U-1006 U-1007 U-1008 U-1009 U-1010 U-1011 U-1013 U-1014 U-1015 U-1016 U-1017 U-1018 U-1019 U-1020 U-1021 U-1022 U-1023 U-1024 U-1025 U-1063 U-1064 U-1065 U-1103 U-1104 U-1105 U-1106 U-1107 U-1108 U-1109 U-1110 U-1163 U-1164 U-1165 U-1166 U-1167 U-1168 U-1169 U-1170 U-1171 U-1172 U-1271 U-1272 U-1273 U-1274 U-1275 U-1276 U-1277 U-1278 U-1279 U-1301 U-1302 U-1303 U-1304 U-1305 U-1306 U-1307 U-1308
Type VIID	U-213 U-214 U-215 U-216 U-217 U-218
Type VIIF	U-1059 U-1060 U-1061 U-1062
Preceded by: Type II Followed by: Type IX List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1942

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1942
Shipwrecks	2 Nov: Empire Antelope, Empire Leopard, Gifu Maru 3 Nov: Ro-65 4 Nov: Hobbema, U-132 5 Nov: U-408 6 Nov: Chulmleigh, City of Cairo, Dekabrist 7 Nov: Donbass, Eveleen, Ha-11, USS Majaba 8 Nov: Actéon, Albatros, Amphitrite, Argonaute, Brestois, Boulonnais, Fougueux, Frondeur, HMS Hartland, La Psyché, La Surprise, Milan, Oréade, Primauguet, Tornade, Tramontane, HMS Walney, West Humhaw 9 Nov: Ariane, HMS Cromer, Danaé, Diane, USS Leedstown, Typhon 10 Nov: HMS Broke, I-15, HMS Ibis, Jean Bart, HMS Martin, Méduse 11 Nov: Hōkoku Maru, USS Joseph Hewes, Sidi Ferruch, HMS Unbeaten, Viceroy of India 12 Nov: USS Edward Rutledge, USS Erie, Hokkai Maru, USS Hugh L. Scott, USS Tasker H. Bliss, HMS Tynwald, U-272, U-660 13 Nov: Akatsuki, USS Atlanta, USS Barton, USS Cushing, HNLMS Isaac Sweers, USS Juneau, Kinugasa, USS Laffey, Le Conquérant, USS Monssen, U-411, Yūdachi 14 Nov: Hiei, Scillin, Narkunda, U-595, U-605 15 Nov: HMS Algerine, HMS Avenger, Ayanami, USS Benham, Kirishima, Le Tonnant, USS Preston, U-98, U-259, USS Walke 16 Nov: Irish Pine, U-173 17 Nov: U-331 18 Nov: Krasnoye Znamya, Tower Grange 19 Nov: USS YP-26 20 Nov: Prins Harald, Pierce Butler 21 Nov: U-517 22 Nov: Sokrushitelny 23 Nov: Benlomond 24 Nov: Hayashio 25 Nov: HMS Utmost 27 Nov: Achéron, Aigle, Algérie, Aurore, Bordelais, Caïman, Casque, Cassard, Colbert, Commandant Teste, Diamant, D'Iberville, Dunkerque, Dupleix, Eurydice, Foch, Foudroyant, Fresnel, Galatée, Gerfaut, Guépard, Henri Poincaré, Jean de Vienne, Kersaint, L'Adroit, La Galissonnière, Lansquenet, L'Espoir, L'Indomptable, Lion, Lynx, Mameluk, Marseillaise, Mogador, Naïade, Panthère, Pascal, Provence, Sirène, Siroco, Strasbourg, Tartu, Thétis, Tigre, Trombe, Valmy, Vauban, Vauquelin, Vautour, Vengeur, Vénus, Verdun 28 Nov: Empire Cromwell, HMS Ithuriel, Nova Scotia, Thomas T. Tucker 29 Nov: Dunedin Star 30 Nov: USS Northampton, HMCS Quinte, Takanami, Thor, Uckermark Unknown date: Sibylle, Saint Edmond, U-184
Other incidents	7 Nov: USS Thomas Stone 8 Nov: HMS Broke, USS Gunnel, USS Leedstown 9 Nov: Wandle 14 Nov: USS Electra 15 Nov: HMCS Saguenay 16 Nov: USS Electra 17 Nov: Piemonte 20 Nov: HMS Bramham, I-175 26 Nov: USS Swordfish 27 Nov: Scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon 28 Nov: USS Alchiba 29 Nov: Akka, USS Tunny
1941 1942 1943 October 1942 December 1942

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