SM U-24

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-24.

History
German Empire
NameU-24
Ordered18 March 1911
BuilderGermaniawerft, Kiel
Yard number178
Laid down5 February 1912
Launched24 May 1913
Commissioned6 December 1913
Fate
  • Surrendered, 22 November 1918
  • Broken up, 1922
General characteristics
Class and typeGerman Type U 23 submarine
Displacement
  • 669 t (658 long tons) surfaced
  • 864 t (850 long tons) submerged
Length64.70 m (212.3 ft)
Beam6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Draught3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shafts
  • 2 × Germania 6-cylinder two stroke diesel motors with 1,800 PS (1,320 kW; 1,780 shp)
  • 2 × SSW double Motordynamos with 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,180 shp)
  • 450rpm surfaced
  • 330 rpm submerged
Speed
  • 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced
  • 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,910 nmi (18,350 km; 11,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 85 nmi (157 km; 98 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depthabout 50 m (160 ft)
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 dingi
Complement4 officers, 31 men
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 1 August 1914 – 11 August 1917
  • Training Flotilla
  • 24 August 1917 – 11 November 1918
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Rudolf Schneider[1]
  • 6 December 1913 – 3 June 1916
  • Kptlt. Walter Remy[2]
  • 4 June 1916 – 10 July 1917
  • Kptlt. Otto von Schubert[3]
  • 11 July – 1 August 1917
Operations: 7 patrols
Victories:
  • 33 merchant ships sunk
    (105,948 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (15,000 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (174 GRT)
  • 3 merchant ships damaged
    (14,318 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship taken as prize
    (1,925 GRT)

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 / 50.217; -3.067. 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]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 24". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  5. ^ Rickard, J. (1 November 2007). "HMS Formidable". historyofwar.org. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  6. ^ 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.