U-31
Type | VIIA | |||||||
| Ordered | 1 Apr, 1935 | |||||||
| Laid down | 1 Mar, 1936 | AG Weser, Bremen (werk 912) | ||||||
| Launched | 25 Sep, 1936 | |||||||
| Commissioned | 28 Dec, 1936 | Kptlt. Rolf Dau | ||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 7 patrols | 28 Dec, 1936 - 31 Aug, 1939 2. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep, 1939 - 31 Dec, 1939 2. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan, 1940 - 12 Mar, 1940 2. Flottille (front boat) 8 Jul, 1940 - 2 Nov, 1940 2. Flottille (Fb) | ||||||
| Successes | 11 ships sunk for a total of 27.751 GRT 2 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 160 GRT 1 warship damaged for a total of 33.950 tons | |||||||
| Fate | Sunk on March 11, 1940 in Jadebusen by British Bristol Blenheim aircraft (RAF Bomber Command). 58 dead (all hands lost). She was raised in March 1940, repaired and returned to service. Sunk again on November 2, 1940 NW of Ireland by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Antelope. 2 dead and 44 survivors. | |||||||
See the 14 ships hit by U-31 - View the 7 war patrols
Attacks on this boat
29 Sep, 1940
An unknown enemy submarine fired two torpedoes at U-31. The boat escaped by the narrowest of margins.
20 Oct, 1940
A British submarine fired torpedoes at U-31 off Lorient, but without success.
2 recorded attacks on this boat.
General notes on this boat
This boat, under Kptlt. Habekost, attacked the first convoy in the war on 16 Sept, 1939 when she sank the British steamer Aviemore from convoy OB-4.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-31 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
 German U-Boat Losses During World War II Niestle, Axel Buy this title at amazon.co.uk See more sellers |
Books dealing with this subject include: German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 |
There was another U-31 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 7 Jan, 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 18 Sep, 1914. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 31 during WWI.