U-331

Type

VIIC

Ordered

23 Sep, 1939

Laid down

26 Jan, 1940

Nordseewerke, Emden (werk 203)

Launched

20 Dec, 1940

Commissioned

31 Mar, 1941

Oblt. Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen

Commanders

31 Mar, 1941 - 17 Nov, 1942

Kptlt. Freiherr Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen (Knights Cross)

Career

10 patrols

31 Mar, 1941 - 1 Jul, 1941  1. Flottille (training)
1 Jul, 1941 - 14 Oct, 1941  1. Flottille (front boat)
15 Oct, 1941 - 14 Apr, 1942  23. Flottille (front boat)
15 Apr, 1942 - 17 Nov, 1942  29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 9.135 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 31.100 tons
1 warship damaged for a total of 372 tons

Fate

Sunk on Nov 17, 1942 in the Mediterranean north of Algiers in position 37.05N, 02.27E after she had been badly damaged by a Hudson aircraft she signaled surrender to a seaplane but was attacked by a torpedo-equipped aircraft Albacore from the British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (Squadrons 500 and 820). 32 dead and 17 survivors.

See the 3 ships hit by U-331 - View the 10 war patrols

Tiesenhausen and the rest of the survivors were rescued by the British seaplane at the scene.

Attacks on this boat

10 Oct, 1941
The boat fought a gun duel with 3 British landing craft off Sidi Barrani and damaged HMS TLC-18 (A 18), but was itself slightly damaged. Two men of the gun crew were wounded, one of them mortally. [Bootsmann Hans Gerstenich]

13 Nov, 1942
In the Mediterranean U-331 was attacked by an escort and was slightly damaged when she dove too deep and hit the sea bed.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

Early on during their 3rd patrol, on 17 November, 1941 U-331 dropped off 8 commandos on the Egyptian coast east of Ras Gibeisa. Their mission was to blow up a railway near the coast, but they did not succeed in doing this. A few days later, 25 Nov, 1941, U-331 sank the British battleship HMS Barham.