SM ''U-33'' was a German Type U 31

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

of the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

Design

German Type U 31 submarine Type U 31 was a class of U-boats built during World War I by the Kaiserliche Marine. Between 1912 and 1915 eleven were built on Germaniawerft in Kiel, amongst these top-three-scoring with the famous Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière as comm ...

s were

double-hulled A double hull is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is some dis ...

ocean-going craft similar to Type 23 and Type 27 boats in dimensions, differing only slightly in propulsion and speed. They were considered very good high sea boats with average manoeuvrability and good surface steering. ''U-33'' had an

overall length The overall length (OAL) of an ammunition cartridge is a measurement from the base of the brass shell casing to the tip of the bullet, seated into the brass casing. Cartridge overall length, or "COL", is important to safe functioning of reloads in ...

of , her

pressure hull A submarine hull has two major components, the ''light hull'' and the ''pressure hull''. The light hull (''casing'' in British usage) of a submarine is the outer non-watertight hull which provides a hydrodynamically efficient shape. The pressure ...

was long. The boat's

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

was (o/a), while the pressure hull measured . Type 31s had a draught of with a total height of . The boats displaced a total of ; when surfaced and when submerged. ''U-33'' was fitted with two

Germania Germania ( ; ), also called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman province of the same name, was a large historical region in north- ...

6-cylinder two-stroke

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

s with a total of for use on the surface and two

Siemens-Schuckert Siemens-Schuckert (or Siemens-Schuckertwerke) was a German electrical engineering company headquartered in Berlin, Erlangen and Nuremberg that was incorporated into the Siemens AG in 1966. Siemens Schuckert was founded in 1903 when Siemens & Ha ...

double-acting

electric motors An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate force ...

with a total of for underwater use. These engines powered two shafts, each with a

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

, which gave the boat a top surface speed of , and when submerged. Cruising range was at on the surface, and at under water. Diving depth was . The U-boat was armed with four

torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

s, two fitted in the bow and two in the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

, and carried six

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

es. Additionally ''U-33'' was equipped in 1915 with one Uk L/30

deck gun A deck gun is a type of naval artillery mounted on the deck of a submarine. Most submarine deck guns were open, with or without a shield; however, a few larger submarines placed these guns in a turret. The main deck gun was a dual-purpose ...

, which was later replaced with a gun. The boat's

complement A complement is something that completes something else. Complement may refer specifically to: The arts * Complement (music), an interval that, when added to another, spans an octave ** Aggregate complementation, the separation of pitch-class ...

was four officers and 31 enlisted.

Service history

SS ''Brussels''

On 28 March 1915, ''U-33'' ordered the Great Eastern Railway's to stop. Instead of doing so, her captain,

Charles Fryatt Charles Algernon Fryatt (2 December 1872 – 27 July 1916) was a British merchant seaman who was court martialled by the Imperial German Navy for attempting to ram a German U-boat in 1915. When his ship, the , was captured off occupied Belgium ...

, ordered full steam ahead and attempted to ram ''U-33'', which only just managed to dive in time.''The Great Eastern Railway Magazine'', September 1916, p218-26
/ref>

Sinking of hospital ship

On 30 March, 1916 the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...

''Portugal'' was towing a string of small flat-bottomed boats to ferry wounded from the shore to the ship. Off Rizeh, on the Turkish coast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

she had stopped as one of the small boats was sinking and repairs were being made. The ship was not carrying wounded at the time, but had a staff of

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

workers on board, as well as her usual crew. - Call number: SRLF_UCLA:LAGE-3563453 , The ship's crew saw a

periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...

approaching the vessel but as the ship was a hospital ship and protected by the Hague conventions no evasive actions were taken. Without warning SM ''U-33'' fired a

which missed. The submarine came around again fired a torpedo from a depth of 30 feet, which hit near the engine room, breaking the ship into two pieces. Of 273 persons on board, 158 were rescued.

Operations

''SM U-33'' ''Kptlt.'' Gausser until Autumn 1917, then to ''U-156''; next C.O. probably ''Kptlt.'' Siess. Came off the stocks at Kiel about the end of November 1914, and joined the Kiel School for trials, proceeding to Emden on 12 January 1915. She was attached to the 4th Half Flotilla.National Archives, Kew: HW 7/3, Room 40, History of German Naval Warfare 1914-1918
(Published below - Room 40: German Naval Warfare 1914-1918) 24–25 January 1915. On Bight patrol to an area where enemy battle cruisers were reported. 30 January 1915 ? Special anti-submarine patrol. Returned owing to engine trouble. ? 18–20 February 1915. Bight patrol. 21–22 February 1915. Bight patrol. 27 February – 10 April 1915. Through Channel to Atlantic. 2 S.S., 2 sailing vessels sunk. 29–30 May 1915. North Sea returned owing to defective W/T. 4–24 June 1915. Northabout to west coast of Scotland. Sank 2 S.S., 1 prize. 14–17 August 1915. Bight Anti-air raid patrol. 28 August – 15 September 1915. To Mediterranean northabout. Sank 5 S.S. Arrived Cattaro about 15 September and joined the Constantinople Half Flot. 28 September – 9 October 1915. Cruise in eastern Mediterranean. Sank 10 S.S. 16 November – 6 December 1915. Cruise in central Mediterranean. Sank 13 S.S. On 5 December was in action with drifter ''HOLLIBANK'' in the Straits of Otranto. Took prisoner ''Capt'' Wilson, King's messenger. April 1916 – November 1916. ''U-33'' was operating chiefly in the eastern Black Sea and was based on Constantinople or Varna. By April 1917 she was back in the Adriatic. 12 January – 10 February 1918. Left Cattaro and operated in eastern Mediterranean. Sank 2. S.S., 2 sailing vessels, and damaged but did not sink 2 S.S. 1–17 May 1918. Left Cattaro for the east, and on 7 May was in area off Port Said. Sank 1 S.S., 1 sailing vessel, and attacked 2 ships and a convoy unsuccessfully. On May 8 was in action, and on 15 May broke off undertaking owing to defects. 2 September to about 26 September. Left Cattaro for the east. Sank 1 S.S., 12 sailing vessels. On 19 October 1918. ''U-33'' left Cattaro for Kiel. The only incident of the voyage was that she was attacked by a trawler on 1 November in about 36°35'E. She steered northabout and by the Sound, at some time with ''UB-51'' and ''UB-105''. Surrendered at Harwich January 16, 1919.

Summary of raiding history

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

Photos of cruises of German submarine U-54 in 1916-1918.
Great photo quality, comments in German.
A 44 min. film from 1917 about a cruise of the German submarine U-35.
A German propaganda film without dead or wounded; many details about submarine warfare in World War I. *

original documents, photos and maps about World War I German submarine warfare and British

Intelligence from

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

, Kew, Richmond, UK. {{DEFAULTSORT:U0032 German Type U 31 submarines U-boats commissioned in 1914 World War I submarines of Germany 1914 ships Ships built in Kiel