U-333

Type

VIIC

Ordered

23 Sep, 1939

Laid down

11 Mar, 1940

Nordseewerke, Emden (werk 205)

Launched

14 Jun, 1941

Commissioned

25 Aug, 1941

Kptlt. Peter Erich Cremer (Knights Cross)

Commanders

25 Aug, 1941 - 6 Oct, 1942	Kptlt. Peter-Erich Cremer (Knights Cross)
6 Oct, 1942 - 9 Oct, 1942	Helmut Kandzior
9 Oct, 1942 - 22 Nov, 1942	Kptlt. Lorenz Kasch
22 Nov, 1942 - 17 May, 1943	Oblt. Werner Schwaff
18 May, 1943 - 19 Jul, 1944	KrvKpt. Peter-Erich Cremer (Knights Cross)
20 Jul, 1944 - 31 Jul, 1944	Kptlt. Hans Fiedler

Career

12 patrols

25 Aug, 1941 - 31 Dec, 1941 5. Flottille (training)
1 Jan, 1942 - 31 Jul, 1944 3. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

7 ships sunk for a total of 32.107 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 8.327 GRT
1 warship damaged for a total of 925 tons

Fate

Sunk 31 July, 1944 in the North Atlantic west of the Scilly Isles, in position 49.39N, 07.28W, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS Starling and the British frigate HMS Loch Killin. 45 dead (all hands lost).

See the 9 ships hit by U-333 - View the 12 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-333 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Blücher (12 Aug, 1942 - 20 Aug, 1942)
   Iltis (9 Sep, 1942 - 23 Sep, 1942)
   Falke (31 Dec, 1942 - 22 Jan, 1943)
   Landknecht (22 Jan, 1943 - 28 Jan, 1943)
   Dranger (14 Mar, 1943 - 20 Mar, 1943)
   Seewolf (25 Mar, 1943 - 30 Mar, 1943)

Attacks on this boat

1 Jan, 1942
The boat was attacked by an enemy aircraft, but was not damaged.

6 Oct, 1942
The boat fought an epic battle with the British corvette HMS Crocus on 6 Oct, 1942. The U-boat lost 3 men dead (including the IWO) and several men wounded, including the commander, Peter Erich Cremer. The boat was heavily damaged and limped back to base with help from a replacement WO, Kptlt. Lorenz Kasch, from the U-107. The doctor from the Milk Cow U-459 helped the wounded. Cremer then spent 3 months in a hospital.[Oberleutnant zur See Bernhard Hermann, Bootsmaat Heinz Kurze, Maschinenobergefreiter Erwin Levermann].

21 Oct, 1942
The former U-570 (captured 27 Aug, 1941), now on her first patrol under British service as HMS Graph, commanded by Peter B. Marriot, fired a spread of torpedoes on the heavily damaged inbound boat. Alert deck watch spotted the trails and managed to avoid the deadly attack. It was only after the war that it came out that this attack came from the former German U-boat. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 69)

4 Mar, 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Wellington Mk.VIII MP505 (172 Sqdn RAF/B, pilot F/O G.D. Lundon)

At 21.31 hours, the outbound boat was surprised by the Wellington aircraft in the Bay of Biscay. But when the aircraft switched on the Leigh Light, it was hit by AA fire and crashed burning into the sea after passing over the boat, killing the crew of six. Two of the four depth charges dropped actually hit U-333, but one broke up without detonating and the other bounced of and caused only light damages.The same aircraft and crew had sunk U-268 on 19 Feb, 1943.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

4 Nov, 1943
While attacking a KMS convoy bound for Gibraltar U-333 surfaced in heavy fog and soon found the convoy but was driven under by a destroyer and heavily depth charged. Once again, she escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 447)

18 Nov, 1943
For the third time in her career the U-333 collided with an Allied escort when attacking the combined convoys MKS 30 and SL139. The British frigate Exe rammed the boat and broke off its periscope and she and other warships (and an aircraft) bombed the boat for eight hours but again the boat escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 459)

21 Mar, 1944
The boat was spotted by Allied aircraft which in turn brought in the famous Support Group 2 (Cpt. Walker) which hunted the boat aggressively. Cremer placed the boat on the muddy button (131 feet) for 10 hours and although it turned out to be a problem to get the boat unstuck it eventually rose and once again Cremer escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 496)

10 Jun, 1944
An Australian Sunderland (Sqdn 10, pilot H. A. McGregor) attacked the boat causing severe damages - although the flak managed to repel the aircraft. The boat was attacked again the next day. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 583)

11 Jun, 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Sunderland (Sqdn 228/U, pilot M. E. Slaughter)

U-boat damaged by attack. U-333 had already been damaged in an attack made by Australian Sunderland Y/10 the day before. THe boat was severely damaged and had to abort to La Pallice, France.

(Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 583)

12 Jun, 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Sunderland (Sqdn 201/S)

This is a possible match. Either this plane or the 228/U one were shot down by this boat.

10 recorded attacks on this boat.