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. Freiherr Hans-Diedrich 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 (active service)
15 Oct 1941	-	14 Apr 1942	23. Flottille (active service)
15 Apr 1942	-	17 Nov 1942	29. Flottille (active service)

Successes

1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 9,135 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 31,100 tons
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 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.

Loss position

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.

Wolfpack operations

U-331 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Goeben (24 Sep 1941 - 30 Sep 1941)

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
On being attacked by a convoy escort in the Mediterranean U-331 dived too deep and struck the sea bed, suffering minor damage.

2 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

17 Nov 1941. On 17 November, at the start of her 3rd patrol, U-331 landed eight commandos on the Egyptian coast east of Ras Gibeisa. Their mission was to blow up a railway line, in which they failed. U-331 then sank the British battleship HMS Barham on 25 Nov.