German submarine U-331

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-331
Ordered:	23 September 1939
Builder:	Nordseewerke, Emden
Yard number:	203
Laid down:	26 January 1940
Launched:	20 December 1940
Commissioned:	31 March 1941
Fate:	Sunk, 17 November 1942
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement:	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length:	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range:	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:	4 × 53.3 cm (21 in) bow torpedo tubes 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 31 March – 14 October 1941 23rd U-boat Flotilla 15 October 1941 – 14 April 1942 29th U-boat Flotilla 15 April – 17 November 1942
Commanders:	Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen 31 March 1941 – 17 November 1942
Operations:	1st patrol: 2 July – 19 August 1941 2nd patrol: 24 September – 11 October 1941 3rd patrol: 12 November – 3 December 1941 4th patrol: 14 January – 28 February 1942 5th patrol: 4–19 April 1942 6th patrol: 9–21 May 1942 7th patrol: 25 May – 15 June 1942 8th patrol: 5–10 August 1942 9th patrol: 12 August – 19 September 1942 10th patrol: 7–17 November 1942
Victories:	1 auxiliary warship sunk (9,135 GRT) 1 warship sunk (31,100 GRT) 1 warship damaged (372 tons)

German submarine U-331 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

The submarine was laid down on 26 January 1940 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 December 1940, and commissioned on 31 March 1941 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen. She was tracked by the RAF and crippled before being destroyed by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in late 1942 with the loss of most of her crew.

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-331 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel 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, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-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).

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