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.
| |
| 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: | |
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
edit| 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
editNotes
edit- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
edit- ^ 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
edit- 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.