SM U-31 (Germany)

History
German Empire
NameU-31
Ordered29 March 1912
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number191
Laid down12 October 1912
Launched7 January 1914
Commissioned18 September 1914
Fatec. 13 January 1915 – Mined in the North Sea; all hands lost.
General characteristics
Class and typeType U 31 submarine
Displacement
  • 685 t (674 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 878 t (864 long tons) (submerged)
Length
Beam
  • 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) (o/a)
  • 4.05 m (13 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Draught3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 × shafts
  • 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed
  • 16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph) (surfaced)
  • 9.7 knots (18.0 km/h; 11.2 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 8,790 nmi (16,280 km; 10,120 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 dinghy
Complement4 officers, 31 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • IV Flotilla
  • 18 September 1914 – 13 January 1915
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Siegfried Wachendorff[1]
  • 1 August 1914 – 13 January 1915
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: None

SM U-31[Note 1] was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-31 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

U-31 sailed from Wilhelmshaven on 13 January 1915 but disappeared shortly thereafter. It was assumed, correctly, she had struck a mine, and sunk with all hands somewhere in the North Sea.

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Siegfried Wachendorff". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.


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