Unterseeboot 333
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-333 was a Type VIIC U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The submarine was laid down on 11 March 1940 at the Nordseewerke
Nordseewerke
Nordseewerke is a shipbuilding company located in Emden, Germany. The name Nordseewerke means "North Sea shipyard" in German. The shipyard employs some 1,400 people and is the second-largest plant in Emden, following Volkswagen...
yard at Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
, launched on 14 June 1941, and commissioned on 25 August 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Peter-Erich Cremer
Peter-Erich Cremer
Peter-Erich Cremer was a German U-boat commander during the Second World War. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
. After training with 5th U-boat flotilla at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, on 1 January 1942 U-333 was transferred to 3rd U-boat Flotilla based at La Pallice for front-line service.
The U-boat made 12 combat patrols in the next three years, and sank seven merchant ships totalling , damaged another of , and also engaged and damaged the Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
. The U-333 was finally sunk in the English Channel with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s from two British warships on 31 July 1944.
U-333 bore the "three little fishes" emblem on its conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
.
1st patrol
U-333 sailed from Kiel on 27 December 1941, through the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, and into the Atlantic. On 1 January 1942 the U-boat was attacked by an unidentified enemy aircraft, but was not damaged. U-333 then joined the wolfpack Ziethen on 17 January 1942, and at 20:45 on 22 January, attacked the 3,429-ton Greek merchant ship Vassilios 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.
At 15:25 on 24 January, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southeast of Cape Race
Cape Race
Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Its name is thought to come from the original Portuguese name for this cape, "Raso", or "bare"...
, U-333 attacked the 4,765-ton Norwegian merchant ship Ringstad, 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, and 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 brought to their rescue.
The sinking of the Spreewald'
At 16:50 hours on 31 January 1942, north of the AzoresAzores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
U-333 attacked an unescorted and zigzagging 5,083-ton merchant ship with a single torpedo, which promptly sent out a distress signal en clair under the name Britanny. Cremer examined the ship from a distance of 400 metres (437.4 yd) before U-333 torpedoed the ship again at 18:33, and sank her. Unfortunately, she was in fact the German blockade runner
Blockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
Spreewald
Spreewald (ship)
Spreewald was a German passenger-carrying freighter built in 1922 by Deutsche Werft at Hamburg for the Hamburg America Line. The ship was renamed Anubis in 1935, but reverted back to Spreewald in 1939. On 31 January 1942 when returning to Germany in disguise, she was sunk by .-Service history:At...
, en route from Dairen
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
in Manchuria
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
with a cargo of 3,365 tons of rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, 230 tons of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, 20 tons of tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
, and quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
, as well as 86 prisoners from ships that had been sunk by the auxiliary cruiser Kormoran
German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran
The German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran was a Kriegsmarine merchant raider of World War II. Originally the merchant vessel Steiermark, the ship was acquired by the Kriegsmarine following the outbreak of war for conversion into a raider...
. Cremer failed to identify her, as she was camouflaged as the Norwegian ship Elg and was ahead of schedule.
A search for survivors was promptly launched. U-333 and , which was waiting to escort the ship into port, and , which was waiting to transfer an injured crewman to the ship, were soon joined by and , which were returning from their patrols, and and , which had just begun theirs. Five Fw 200 Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
long-range patrol aircraft from France also searched the area, but most of the U-boats were low on fuel and soon had to abort their search.
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 and U-105 searched for further three days before giving up and setting a course to Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
. To compound the disaster, when a Dornier Do 24
Dornier Do 24
-See also:-References:* -External links:* * * * * * * * *...
flying boat was sent out to pick up 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 the Spreewald, 72 were killed.
After returning from his patrol on 9 February 1942, Cremer was court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
led, but was found not guilty.
2nd patrol
U-333 left her new home port of La Pallice on 30 March 1942, and headed across the Atlantic to the coast of FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. There, on 6 May, she attacked three ships, sinking two. The first was the unescorted 8,327-ton American tanker
Tank ship
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Java Arrow, hit by two torpedoes eight miles (13 km) off Vero Beach
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
at 05:43. The attack killed two officers on watch below, and the 45 survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats. They were later picked up by the submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
and a Coast Guard vessel. A Coast Guard officer boarded the ship to inspect the damage and ascertained that she could be saved, so the Master
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
and four men returned to the ship and dropped the anchor to prevent the ship from going aground. The Master then went to Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
and returned later with 14 of his crew and the salvage tugs Ontario and Bafshe which towed the tanker to Port Everglades
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a port in Broward County, Florida. As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading...
. The ship was repaired and returned to service in 1943.
Meanwhile, at 09:35, off Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
,U-333 hit the unescorted 1,294-ton Dutch merchant ship Amazone with a single torpedo on the port side. The ship, en route to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
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 the submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
.
Finally, at 23.25 hours, the unescorted and unarmed 7,088-ton American tanker Halsey was hit by two torpedoes off St Lucie Inlet
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
, ripping a hole in the side 60 feet (18.3 m) long. The ship, en route from Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
to New York, was laden with 40000 barrels (6,359.5 m³) of naphtha
Naphtha
Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e., a component of natural gas condensate or a distillation product from petroleum, coal tar or peat boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons. It is a broad term covering among the...
and 40000 barrels (6,359.5 m³) of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
. The crew of 32 abandoned ship in two lifeboats, nearly being asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
ted by naphtha fumes. After an hour, the U-boat came alongside the lifeboats and offered assistance, but it was declined. An hour later the Halsey exploded, broke in two, and burst into flames. The lifeboats were soon found by USS 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 by depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, forcing the U-boat to return to France. However, at 09:05 on 10 May, she attacked the unescorted 5,214-ton British Clan Line
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
merchant ship Clan Skene about 300 miles (482.8 km) south-east of Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
. The ship, carrying 2,006 tons of chrome ore
Chromite
Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite ; substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite .-Occurrence:Chromite is found in...
from Beira
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
in Portuguese East Africa to New York, was hit by two torpedoes and sank. Nine crewmen were killed, while 73 survivors were later picked up by the destroyer
Wickes class destroyer
The Wickes-class destroyers were a group of 111 destroyers built by the United States Navy in 1917-1919. Along with the 6 preceding Caldwell class and 155 subsequent Clemson-class destroyers, they formed the "flush-deck" or "four-stack" class. Only a few were completed in time to serve in World...
. Cremer noted in his Kriegstagebücher ("War diary") that the sinking of this ship was like .. a balm after these terrible depth charges. U-333 finally arrived back at La Pallice on 26 May.
3rd patrol
U-333s next patrol was uneventful. Departing La Pallice on 11 August 1942, she joined wolf pack BlücherWolf pack Blücher
Blücher was a wolfpack of German U-boats that operated during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic from 13 July to 1 August 1942. They attacked the Freetown, Sierra Leone to Liverpool convoys SL-118 and SL-119, and sank six ships for a total of , and damaged one...
north-east of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
from 14–18 August, but had no successes, and returned to port on 24 August after only 14 days at sea.
4th patrol
U-333 sailed from La Pallice once more on 1 September 1942, and headed south to the coast of West Africa, joining wolf pack Iltis between 6–23 September.On 6 October the U-boat engaged the British Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
about 60 miles (96.6 km) south-west of Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. Crocus detected U-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. The U-333 lay low, later surfacing and making her escape under cover of darkness. Both vessels suffered damage and sustained casualties. On the U-boat three men were killed; Bootsmaat Heinz Kurze, Maschinenobergefreiter
Gefreiter
Gefreiter is the German, Swiss and Austrian equivalent for the military rank Private . Gefreiter was the lowest rank to which an ordinary soldier could be promoted. As a military rank it has existed since at least the 16th century...
Erwin Levermann, and the First Watch Officer (second-in-command) Oberleutnant zur See Bernhard Hermann, while several men were wounded, including the commander Peter-Erich Cremer
Peter-Erich Cremer
Peter-Erich Cremer was a German U-boat commander during the Second World War. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
. Command of U-333 was taken by the Second Watch Officer (third-in-command) Leutnant zur See Helmut Kandzior, who took the U-boat to a rendezvous with three days later, where Kapitänleutnant Lorenz Kasch, a Captain under instruction, assumed temporary command. U-333 also received medical assistance from a doctor on the Milchkuh
German Type XIV submarine
The Type XIV U-boat was a modification of the Type IXD, designed to resupply other U-boats. They were nicknamed "Milchkuh/Milchkühe " . They had no torpedo tubes or deck guns, only anti-aircraft guns. Due to its large size, the Type XIV could resupply other boats with 400 tons of fuel, four...
.
On 21 October the inbound U-333 was attacked by the British submarine about 50 nautical miles (92.6 km) north-north-east of Cape Ortegal
Ortegal
Ortegal is a comarca in the Galician Province of A Coruña. The overall population of this local region is 15,810 .-Municipalities:Cariño, Cerdido, Mañón and Ortigueira....
, Spain. The British submarine was formerly the German U-570, captured on 27 August 1941, extensively studied, and commissioned into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Graph, on her first patrol, fired a spread of four torpedoes at the surfaced U-boat, but lookouts spotted the tracks and U-333 managed to evade them. U-333 arrived back at La Pallice two days later, on 23 October 1942, and Cremer then spent three months in hospital.
5th patrol
Oberleutnant zur See Werner Schwaff was appointed commander pro temPro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
of U-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, joining wolf packs Falke from 28 December 1942 to 19 January 1943, and Landsknecht from 19 to 28 January 1943. However she had no successes, and eventually returned to base on 5 February 1943 after a patrol lasting 48 days.
6th patrol
Two days after departing from La Pallice on 2 March 1943, U-333 was attacked in the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
by a British Wellington Mk.VIII
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bomber from No. 172 Squadron RAF
No. 172 Squadron RAF
No. 172 Squadron RAF was a Second World War Royal Air Force anti-submarine squadron that operated the Vickers Wellington equipped with the Leigh Light.-History:...
equipped with a Leigh light
Leigh light
The Leigh Light was a British World War II era anti-submarine device used in the Second Battle of the Atlantic.It was a powerful carbon arc searchlight of 24 inches diameter fitted to a number of the British Royal Air Force's Coastal Command patrol bombers to help them spot surfaced...
. When the aircraft illuminated the U-boat, it was met with a barrage of AA fire. The bomber passed over U-333, and dropped four depth charges before crashing into the sea, killing the crew of six. Two depth charges actually hit U-333, but one broke up without detonating and the other bounced off and caused only light damage.
U-333 continued her patrol, returning to the seas south-west of Iceland, and joining wolf pack Dränger on 14 March. There, on 19 March at 21:28, she torpedoed and sank the 5,234-ton Greek merchant ship Carras, a straggler from Convoy SC 122, which had been hit by a torpedo from earlier. All the crew of 34 survived and were picked up by the British rescue ship Zamalek. U-333 joined wolf pack Seewolf from 21 to 30 March, but had no more successes before returning to La Pallice on 13 April.
The Carras would be the last ship sunk by U-333, as the balance of power in the Battle of the Atlantic now swung in favour of the Allies, culminating in Black May
Black May (1943)
‘Black May’ refers to a period in the Battle of the Atlantic campaign during World War II, when the German U-boat arm suffered high casualties with fewer Allied ships sunk; it is considered a turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic.-Background:After February battles around convoys SC 118, ON...
.
7th patrol
On 18 May 1943 Peter-Erich Cremer, now recovered from his injuries and promoted to the rank of Korvettenkapitän, reassumed command of U-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.8th patrol
U-333s next patrol began on 21 October 1943, heading out into the Atlantic north-east of the AzoresAzores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, where she joined wolf pack Schill on the 25th. On 4 November, while shadowing a KMS convoy, bound for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, U-333 surfaced in heavy fog, but was forced to dive by a destroyer and heavily depth charged, but managed to escape unharmed.
U-333 joined wolf pack Schill 1 on 16 November. On the 18th, while attacking the combined convoys SL 139 and MKS 30
Convoy SL 139/MKS 30
Convoys SL 139/MKS 30 were two Allied convoys which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.SL 139 was part of the of the OS/SL series, between Britain and the South Atlantic, and MKS 30 one of the KMS/MKS series between Britain and the Mediterranean.They were sailing together on the...
, the U-boat was rammed by the frigate
River class frigate
The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....
, losing her periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
. U-333 was then subjected to an attack from warships and an aircraft that lasted for eight hours, before making her escape. The U-boat returned to La Pallice on 1 December 1943 having had no success.
9th and 10th patrol
U-333 sailed out on a patrol on 10 February 1944, but returned after only two days on the 12th. The U-boat left again on 14 February and headed into the waters west of Ireland. 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, the 2nd Support Group2nd Support Group (Royal Navy)
The 2nd Escort Group was a British anti-submarine formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic....
, under the command of Captain F.J. Walker
Frederic John Walker
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO and three Bars, RN was a British Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during World War II...
. Pursued relentlessly, Cremer eventually took U-333 to the bottom and sat on the sea floor at a depth of 131 feet (39.9 m) for 10 hours. Although releasing the U-boat from the grip of the mud was a problem, she eventually freed herself, and once again U-333 escaped. The U-boat returned to base on 20 April 1944, again having had no successes.
11th patrol
Departing from La Pallice on 6 June 1944, U-333 fell victim to the increased anti-submarine activity by the Allies after the Normandy landings. On 10 June, while still in the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, U-333 was attacked by an Australian Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
patrol bomber
Patrol bomber
A maritime patrol aircraft , also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles - in particular anti-submarine, anti-ship and search and...
of No. 10 Squadron RAAF
No. 10 Squadron RAAF
No. 10 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The Squadron was first formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War.-Second World War:...
, and suffered some damage, though managed to repel the aircraft with her flak. The next day U-333 was attacked again by another Sunderland, this time from No. 228 Squadron RAF
No. 228 Squadron RAF
No. 228 Squadron RAF was a unit that during the greatest part of its existence flew over water, doing so in World War I, World War II and beyond, performing anti-submarine, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue tasks.-Formation and World War I:...
. U-333 managed to shoot down the aircraft, but suffered further damage, forcing her to abort her patrol and retun to base on 13 June.
12th patrol
On 19 July 1944 Cremer left U-333 in order to commission the new Type XXIGerman Type XXI submarine
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
Elektroboote , and Kapitänleutnant Hans Fiedler was appointed as commander on the 20th. His first, and U-333s final patrol began on 23 July, as she headed into the Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
.
Sinking
U-333 was sunk on 31 July 1944, west of the Scilly Isles, in position 49°39′N 07°28′W, by depth charges from the British Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
sloop
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
and frigate
Loch class frigate
The Loch class was a class of anti-submarine frigate built for the Royal Navy and her allies during World War II. They were an innovative design based on the experience of 3 years of fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and attendant technological advances.-Design:The Lochs were based upon the...
of the 2nd Support Group
2nd Support Group (Royal Navy)
The 2nd Escort Group was a British anti-submarine formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic....
. All 45 hands were lost.
Raiding career
Between August 1941 and July 1944 U-333 sailed on 12 combat patrols, and sank seven merchant ships totalling , damaged another of , and also engaged and damaged the Flower class corvetteFlower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
. She also shot down two aircraft.
Greece 
Norway Spreewald (ship)
Spreewald was a German passenger-carrying freighter built in 1922 by Deutsche Werft at Hamburg for the Hamburg America Line. The ship was renamed Anubis in 1935, but reverted back to Spreewald in 1939. On 31 January 1942 when returning to Germany in disguise, she was sunk by .-Service history:At...
Nazi Germany 
Netherlands 
United States United States 
United Kingdom United Kingdom Greece External links
- U-333 at u-boot-archiv.de
- Information on U-333 & other U-Boat cap badges
- Peter-Erich Cremer, recorded c.1973 for the documentary series The World at War, describes the action with HMS Crocus on 6 October 1942
- Newsreel of U-333 returning to port badly damaged
See also
- List of German U-boats