| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-333 |
| Ordered | 23 September 1939 |
| Builder | Nordseewerke,Emden |
| Yard number | 205 |
| Laid down | 11 March 1940 |
| Launched | 14 June 1941 |
| Commissioned | 25 August 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk on 31 July 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 02 500 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | |
German submarineU-333 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II. The submarine waslaid down on 11 March 1940 at theNordseewerke yard atEmden,launched on 14 June 1941, andcommissioned on 25 August 1941 under the command ofKapitänleutnantPeter-Erich Cremer. After training with the5th U-boat Flotilla atKiel, on 1 January 1942U-333 was transferred to the3rd U-boat Flotilla based atLa Pallice for front-line service.[1]
The U-boat made 12 combat patrols in the next three years, and sank seven merchant ships totalling 32,107 gross register tons (GRT), damaged another of 8,327 GRT, and also engaged and damaged theFlower-classcorvetteHMS Crocus.U-333 was sunk in the English Channel by British warships using aSquid on 31 July 1944.[1]
U-333 bore the "three little fishes" emblem on itsconning tower.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-333 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, twoAEG GU 460/8–27double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft)propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-333 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]
U-333 sailed from Kiel on 27 December 1941, through theNorth Sea, and into the Atlantic.[4] On 1 January 1942 the U-boat was attacked by an unidentified enemy aircraft, but was not damaged.[1]U-333 then joined thewolfpack 'Ziethen' on 17 January 1942,[1] and at 20:45 on 22 January, attacked the 3,429 GRT Greek merchant shipVassilios A. Polemis, a straggler from Convoy ON 53. The ship, hit amidships by a single torpedo, broke in two and sank within ten minutes. The U-boat questioned the 12 survivors from the crew of 33, and gave them bread and cigarettes.[5]
At 15:25 on 24 January, about 85 nautical miles (157 km; 98 mi) southeast ofCape Race,U-333 attacked the 4,765 GRT Norwegian merchant shipRingstad, which had lost contact with Convoy ON 55 after several days of storms. The ship was hit on the starboard side by a single torpedo, and the crew of 43 abandoned ship in three lifeboats. After 20 minutes the ship sank, the U-boat surfaced to question the crew, offered water and food, and gave them a heading to the nearest land before wishing them good luck and leaving. However, in heavy weather two lifeboats containing 30 men were lost, while the third lifeboat was eventually spotted, covered in ice, five days later by an aircraft that broughtUSS Swanson to their rescue.[6]
At 16:50 hours on 31 January 1942, north of theAzoresU-333 attacked an unescorted and zigzagging 5,083 GRT merchant ship with a single torpedo, which promptly sent out a distress signalen clair under the nameBritanny. Cremer examined the ship from a distance of 400 metres (440 yd) beforeU-333 torpedoed the ship again at 18:33, and sank her. Unfortunately, she was in fact the Germanblockade runnerSpreewald, en route fromDairen inManchuria toBordeaux with a cargo of 3,365 tons ofrubber, 230 tons oftin, 20 tons oftungsten, andquinine, as well as 86 prisoners from ships that had been sunk by theauxiliary cruiserKormoran. Cremer failed to identify her, as she was camouflaged as the Norwegian shipElg and was ahead of schedule.[7]
A search for survivors was promptly launched.U-333 andU-575, which was waiting to escort the ship into port andU-123, which was waiting to transfer an injured crewman to the ship, were soon joined byU-701 andU-582, which were returning from their patrols, andU-332 andU-105, which had just begun theirs.[7]
Late on 2 February,U-105 picked up 25 crewmen and 55 prisoners in three lifeboats and three rafts. Another lifeboat, containing 11 crewmen and 13 prisoners was missing andU-105 searched for a further three days before giving up and setting a course toLorient. To compound the disaster, when aDornier Do 24 flying boat was sent out to pick up a severely injured sailor, it crashed in rough seas.U-105 rescued the seven-man crew and sank the aircraft with gunfire. Of the 152 aboard theSpreewald, 72 were killed.[7]
After returning from his patrol on 9 February 1942,[2] Cremer wascourt-martialled, but was found not guilty.[7]
U-333 left her new home port of La Pallice on 30 March 1942, and headed across the Atlantic to the coast ofFlorida.[8] There, on 6 May, she attacked three ships, sinking two. The first was the unescorted 8,327 GRT AmericantankerJava Arrow, hit by two torpedoes eight miles (13 km) offVero Beach at 05:43. The attack killed two officers on watch below, the 45 survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats. They were later picked up by thesubmarine chaserUSS PC-483 and a Coast Guard vessel. Four men returned to the ship and dropped the anchor to prevent the ship from going aground. The Master then went toFort Pierce and returned later with 14 of his crew and the salvage tugsOntario andBafshe which towed the tanker toPort Everglades. The ship was repaired and returned to service in 1943.[9]
Meanwhile, at 09:35, offFort Pierce,U-333 hit the unescorted 1,294 GRT Dutch merchant shipAmazone with a single torpedo on the port side. The ship, en route toNew York fromCuraçao with a cargo of 926 tons of coffee and oil, sank within two minutes. Fourteen crewmen were lost, while the 11 survivors were picked up by thesubmarine chaserUSS PC-484.[10]
Finally, at 23:25 the unescorted and unarmed 7,088 GRT American tankerHalsey was hit by two torpedoes offSt Lucie Inlet, ripping a hole in the side 60 feet (18 m) long. The ship, en route fromCorpus Christi, Texas to New York, was laden with 40,000 barrels (6,400 m3) ofnaphtha and 40,000 barrels (6,400 m3) ofheating oil. The crew of 32 abandoned ship in two lifeboats, almost beingasphyxiated by naphtha fumes. An hour later theHalsey exploded, broke in two, and burst into flames. The lifeboats were soon found byUSS PC-451, and towed to land by two fishing vessels.
The next day, 7 May,U-333 was hunted by a convoy escort ship, and badly damaged bydepth charges, forcing the U-boat to return to France. However, at 09:05 on 10 May, she attacked the unescorted 5,214 GRT BritishClan Line merchant shipClan Skene about 300 nautical miles (560 km; 350 mi) south-east ofCape Hatteras. The ship, carrying 2,006 tons ofchrome ore fromBeira inPortuguese East Africa to New York, was hit by two torpedoes and sank. Nine crewmen were killed, while 73 survivors were later picked up by thedestroyerUSS McKean. Cremer noted in hisKriegstagebücher ("War diary") that the sinking of this ship was like.. a balm after these terrible depth charges.[11]U-333 finally arrived back at La Pallice on 26 May.[2]
U-333's next patrol was uneventful. Departing La Pallice on 11 August 1942,[12] she joined wolfpack 'Blücher' north-east of theAzores from 14 to 18 August,[1] but had no successes, and returned to port on 24 August after only 14 days at sea.[2]
U-333 sailed from La Pallice once more on 1 September 1942, and headed south to the coast of West Africa,[13] joining wolfpack 'Iltis' between 6–23 September.[1]
On 6 October the U-boat engaged the BritishFlower-classcorvetteHMS Crocus about 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) south-west ofFreetown,Sierra Leone.[14]Crocus detectedU-333 by radar, and closed at high speed. The U-boat was rammed twice, and exchanged gunfire at close range before submerging, while the corvette dropped depth charges. TheU-333 lay low, later surfacing and making her escape under cover of darkness.[15] Both vessels suffered damage and sustained casualties. On the U-boat three men were killed;Bootsmaat Heinz Kurze,Maschinenobergefreiter Erwin Levermann, and the First Watch Officer (second-in-command)Oberleutnant zur See Bernhard Hermann, while several men were wounded, including the commanderPeter-Erich Cremer.[14] Command ofU-333 was taken by the Second Watch Officer (third-in-command)Leutnant zur See Helmut Kandzior, who took the U-boat to a rendezvous withU-107 three days later, whereKapitänleutnant Lorenz Kasch, a Captain under instruction, assumed temporary command.U-333 also received medical assistance from a doctor on theMilchkuhU-459.[13]
On 21 October the inboundU-333 was attacked by the British submarineHMS Graph about 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) north-north-east ofCape Ortegal, Spain.[16] The British submarine was formerly the GermanU-570, captured on 27 August 1941, extensively studied, and commissioned into theRoyal Navy.Graph, on her first war patrol in British service, fired a spread of four torpedoes at the surfaced U-boat, but lookouts spotted the tracks andU-333 managed to evade them.[1]U-333 arrived back at La Pallice two days later, on 23 October 1942,[2] and Cremer then spent three months in hospital.[1]
Oberleutnant zur See Werner Schwaff was appointed temporary commander ofU-333 on 22 November 1942, and set sail from La Pallice on his first patrol on 20 December 1942. The U-boat sailed out to patrol the Atlantic south-west of Iceland,[17] joining wolfpacks 'Falke' from 28 December 1942 to 19 January 1943, and 'Landsknecht' from 19 to 28 January 1943.[1] However she had no successes, and eventually returned to base on 5 February 1943 after a patrol lasting 48 days.[2]
Two days after departing from La Pallice on 2 March 1943,[18]U-333 was attacked in theBay of Biscay by a BritishWellington Mk.VIII bomber fromNo. 172 Squadron RAF equipped with aLeigh light. When the aircraft illuminated the U-boat, it was met with a barrage of AA fire. The bomber passed overU-333, and dropped four depth charges before crashing into the sea, killing the crew of six. Two depth charges actually hitU-333, but one broke up without detonating and the other bounced off and caused only light damage.[1]
U-333 continued her patrol, returning to the seas south-west of Iceland, and joining wolfpack 'Dränger' on 14 March.[1] There, on 19 March at 21:28, she torpedoed and sank the 5,234 GRT Greek merchant shipCarras, a straggler fromConvoy SC 122, which had been hit by a torpedo fromU-666 earlier. All the crew of 34 survived and were picked up by the British rescue shipZamalek.[19]U-333 joined wolfpack 'Seewolf' from 21 to 30 March,[1] but had no more successes before returning to La Pallice on 13 April.[2]
Carras would be the last ship sunk byU-333, as the balance of power in theBattle of the Atlantic now swung in favour of the Allies, culminating inBlack May (1943).
On 18 May 1943 Peter-Erich Cremer, now recovered from his injuries and promoted to the rank ofKorvettenkapitän, reassumed command ofU-333. On 2 June the U-boat sailed from La Pallice and headed south to the coast of West Africa. However, she had no success, and returned to base on 31 August after 91 days.[20]
U-333's next patrol began on 21 October 1943, heading out into the Atlantic north-east of theAzores,[21] where she joined wolfpack 'Schill' on the 25th.[1] On 4 November, while shadowing a KMS convoy, bound forGibraltar fromLiverpool,U-333 surfaced in heavy fog, but was forced to dive by a destroyer and heavily depth charged, but managed to escape unharmed.[1]
U-333 joined wolfpack 'Schill 1' on 16 November. On the 18th, while attacking the combined convoysSL 139 and MKS 30, the U-boat was rammed by thefrigateHMS Exe, losing herperiscope.U-333 was then subjected to an attack from warships and an aircraft that lasted for eight hours, before making herescape.[1] The U-boat returned to La Pallice on 1 December 1943 having had no success.[2]
U-333 sailed out on a patrol on 10 February 1944, but returned after only two days on the 12th.[2] The U-boat left again on 14 February and headed into the waters west of Ireland.[22] There, on 21 March, the U-boat was spotted by Allied aircraft which in turn brought in the Royal Navy's renowned U-boat hunters, the2nd Support Group, under the command of CaptainF.J. Walker. Pursued relentlessly, Cremer eventually tookU-333 to the bottom and sat on the sea floor at a depth of 131 feet (40 m) for 10 hours. Although releasing the U-boat from the grip of the mud was a problem, she eventually freed herself, and once againU-333 escaped.[1] The U-boat returned to base on 20 April 1944, again having had no success.[2]
Departing from La Pallice on 6 June 1944,[2]U-333 fell victim to the increased anti-submarine activity by the Allies after theNormandy landings. On 10 June, while still in theBay of Biscay,U-333 was attacked by an AustralianSunderlandflying boatpatrol bomber ofNo. 10 Squadron RAAF, and suffered some damage, although she managed to repel the aircraft with herflak.[1] The next dayU-333 was attacked, again by another Sunderland, this time fromNo. 228 Squadron RAF.U-333 managed to shoot the aircraft down, but suffered further damage, forcing her to abort her patrol[1] and return to base on 13 June.[2]
On 19 July 1944 Cremer leftU-333 in order to commission the newType XXIElektrobootU-2513,[23] andKapitänleutnant Hans Fiedler was appointed as commander on the 20th.[1] His first, andU-333's final patrol began on 23 July, as she headed into theWestern Approaches.[24]
U-333 was sunk on 31 July 1944, west of theScilly Isles, in position49°39′N07°28′W / 49.650°N 7.467°W /49.650; -7.467 (U-333 (sunk)), by the first use of theSquid anti-submarine mortar from the BritishRoyal NavysloopStarling andfrigateLoch Killin of the2nd Support Group. All 45 hands were lost.[1]
U-333 took part in ninewolfpacks, namely:
Between August 1941 and July 1944U-333 sailed on 12 combat patrols, and sank seven merchant ships totalling 32,107 GRT, damaged another of 8,327 GRT, and also engaged and damaged the 925 tonsFlower-classcorvetteHMS Crocus. She also shot down two aircraft.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1944 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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