SM U-24
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 | |
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Name: | U-24 |
Ordered: | 18 March 1911 |
Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Laid down: | 5 February 1912 |
Launched: | 24 May 1913 |
Commissioned: | 6 December 1913 |
Fate: |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type: | German Type U 23 submarine |
Displacement: |
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Length: | 64.70 m (212.3 ft) |
Beam: | 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) |
Draught: | 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: |
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Range: |
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Test depth: | about 50 m (160 ft) |
Boats & landing craft carried: | 1 dingi |
Complement: | 4 officers, 31 men |
Armament: |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: | |
Operations: | 7 patrols |
Victories: |
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In seven patrols, U-24 sank a total of 34 ships totalling 106,103 GRT, damaged three more for 14,318 tons, and took one prize of 1,925 tons.[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. 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] |
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26 October 1914 | Amiral Ganteaume | ![]() |
4,590 | Damaged |
1 January 1915 | HMS Formidable | ![]() |
15,000 | Sunk |
2 April 1915 | Lochwood | ![]() |
2,042 | Sunk |
4 April 1915 | City of Bremen | ![]() |
1,258 | Sunk |
10 April 1915 | The President | ![]() |
647 | Sunk |
11 April 1915 | Frederic Franck | ![]() |
973 | Damaged |
27 June 1915 | Edith | ![]() |
97 | Sunk |
27 June 1915 | Indrani | ![]() |
3,640 | Sunk |
27 June 1915 | Lucena | ![]() |
243 | Sunk |
28 June 1915 | Dumfriesshire | ![]() |
2,622 | Sunk |
28 June 1915 | Armenian | ![]() |
8,825 | Sunk |
30 June 1915 | Scottish Monarch | ![]() |
5,043 | Sunk |
30 June 1915 | Thistlebank | ![]() |
2,411 | Sunk |
1 July 1915 | L. C. Tower | ![]() |
518 | Sunk |
1 July 1915 | Sardomene | ![]() |
2,000 | Sunk |
1 July 1915 | Welbury | ![]() |
3,591 | Sunk |
6 July 1915 | Ellen | ![]() |
169 | Sunk |
7 August 1915 | Geiranger | ![]() |
1,081 | Sunk |
12 August 1915 | Osprey | ![]() |
310 | Sunk |
13 August 1915 | Cairo | ![]() |
1,671 | Sunk |
19 August 1915 | Arabic | ![]() |
15,801 | Sunk |
19 August 1915 | Dunsley | ![]() |
4,930 | Sunk |
19 August 1915 | New York City | ![]() |
2,970 | Sunk |
19 August 1915 | St. Olaf | ![]() |
277 | Sunk |
24 August 1915 | Sinsen | ![]() |
1,925 | Captured as a prize |
25 December 1915 | Van Stirum | ![]() |
3,284 | Sunk |
26 December 1915 | Cottingham | ![]() |
513 | Sunk |
26 December 1915 | Ministre Bernaert | ![]() |
4,215 | Sunk |
28 December 1915 | Huronian | ![]() |
8,755 | Damaged |
28 December 1915 | El Zorro | ![]() |
5,989 | Sunk |
11 July 1916 | Nellie Nutten | ![]() |
174 | Sunk |
30 October 1916 | Nellie Bruce | ![]() |
192 | Sunk |
10 December 1916 | Agder | ![]() |
305 | Sunk |
21 March 1917 | Stanley | ![]() |
3,987 | Sunk |
22 March 1917 | Svendsholm | ![]() |
1,998 | Sunk |
27 March 1917 | Glenogle | ![]() |
7,682 | Sunk |
28 March 1917 | Cannizaro | ![]() |
6,133 | Sunk |
18 June 1917 | Elele | ![]() |
6,557 | Sunk |
18 June 1917 | English Monarch | ![]() |
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. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.