View source for SMS S31 (1913)

{{Short description|Torpedo boat}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
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|Ship country=[[German Empire]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
| Ship name = ''S31''
| Ship namesake = 
| Ship ordered =  1913 
| Ship builder =  [[Schichau-Werke]], [[Elbląg|Elbing]]
| Ship laid down = 
| Ship launched =  20 December 1913
| Ship commissioned =  9 August 1914
| Ship decommissioned = 
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| Ship honours = 
| Ship fate =Sunk by mine 19 August 1915
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Ship class = 
| Ship displacement ={{convert|971|t|LT}}
| Ship length ={{convert|79.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam ={{convert|8.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft ={{convert|2.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| Ship sail plan = 
|Ship propulsion=*3 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
* 2× [[Steam turbine]]s
* 2 shafts
|Ship power={{convert|23500|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed ={{convert|33.5|kn}}
| Ship range ={{convert|1,100|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|20|kn}}
| Ship complement =  83 officers and sailors
| Ship sensors = 
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| Ship armament =*3 × [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun|{{convert|8.8|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} SK L/45]] guns
* 6 × 500 mm [[torpedo tube]]s
* 24 [[Naval mine|mine]]s

| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''SMS ''S31'''''{{#tag:ref| "SMS" stands for "''[[Seiner Majestät Schiff]]''" ({{langx|en|His Majesty's Ship)|group=lower-alpha}}|group=lower-alpha}}{{#tag:ref|The "S" in ''S31'' denoted  the shipbuilder who constructed her.<ref name="conways06 p164">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=164}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} was a 1913 Type [[Large Torpedo Boat]] (''Großes Torpedoboot '') of the [[Imperial German Navy]]. Commissioning in August 1914, she served during [[World War I]] and was sunk by a mine during the [[Battle of the Gulf of Riga]] on 19 August 1915.

==Construction==
In 1913, the Imperial German Navy placed orders for 12 high-seas torpedo boats, with a half-flotilla of six ordered from AG Vulcan (''V25''–''V30'') and [[Schichau-Werke]] (''S31''–''S36''). While the designs built by each shipyard were broadly similar, they differed from each other in detail, and were significantly larger and more capable than the small torpedo boats built for the German Navy in the last two years.  ''S31'' was the first of the six torpedo-boats ordered from the Schichau-Werke.<ref name="conways06 p168">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=168}}</ref>

''S31'' was launched at Schichau's [[Elbing]] shipyard on 20 December 1913 and commissioned on 8 August 1914.<ref name="Grov2 p54">{{Harvnb|Gröner|1983|p=54}}</ref>

''S31'' was {{convert|79.6|m|ftin}} long [[length overall|overall]] and {{convert|79.0|m|ftin}} [[waterline length|at the waterline]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|8.3|m|ftin}} and a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|2.8|m|ftin}}.<ref name="conways06 p168"/> [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|802|t|LT}} normal and {{convert|971|t|LT}} deep load.<ref name="Grov2 p53">{{Harvnb|Gröner| 1983|p=53}}</ref> Three oil-fired [[water-tube boiler]]s fed steam to 2 sets of Schichau [[steam turbine]]s rated at {{convert|23500|shp|kW}}, giving a speed of {{convert|33.5|kn}}. {{convert|220|t|LT}} of fuel oil was carried, giving a range of {{convert|1100|nmi}} at {{convert|20|kn}}.<ref name="conways06 p168"/>

Armament consisted of three [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun]]s in single mounts, together with six 50&nbsp;cm (19.7&nbsp;in) [[torpedo tube]]s with two fixed single tubes forward and 2 twin mounts aft. Up to 24 [[Naval mine|mine]]s could be carried.<ref name="conways06 p168"/><ref name="Grov2 p53"/> The ship had a complement of 83 officers and men.<ref name="conways06 p168"/>

==Service==
In October 1914 ''S31'' was a member of the 17th Half-Flotilla and took part in operations in the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref name="Ostv1 p208,0">{{Harvnb|Firle|1921|pp=208, 210}}</ref> During August 1915 ''S31'', as part of the 9th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, took part in the [[Battle of the Gulf of Riga]]. She struck a [[naval mine|mine]] near the island of [[Ruhnu]] on 19 August, sinking with the loss of 11 men. The survivors were rescued by {{SMS|V184||2}} and {{SMS|S35|1914|2}}.<ref name="Grov2 p54"/><ref name="Ostv2 p246,51,58,66,73">{{Harvnb|Rollmann|1929|pp=246, 251, 258, 266, 273}}</ref><ref name="Halp p196-98">{{Harvnb|Halpern|1994|pp=196–198}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Citations==

{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite book|last=Firle|first=Rudolph|title=Der Krieg in der Ostsee: Erster Band: Von Kriegsbeginn bis Mitte März 1915|series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918|year=1921|location=Berlin|publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn|url=https://archive.org/details/derkrieginderost01firl|language=German}}
* {{cite book|last=Halpern|first=Pail G.|title=A Naval History of World War I|year=1994 | publisher= UCL Press |location=London |isbn=1-85728-498-4}}
*{{cite book|editor-last1=Gardiner|editor-first1=Robert|editor-last2=Gray|editor-first2=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Gröner|first=Erich|title=Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945: Band 2: Torpedoboote, Zerstörer, Schnelleboote, Minensuchboote, Minenräumboote|year=1983|publisher=Bernard & Graefe Verlag|location=Koblenz, Germany|isbn=3-7637-4801-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Rollmann|first=Heinrich|title=Der Krieg in der Ostsee: Zweiter Band: Das Kreigjahr 1915|series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918|year=1929|location=Berlin|publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn|url=https://archive.org/details/derkrieginderost02firl|language=German}}

{{Großes Torpedoboot 1913-class torpedo boats}}

{{coord missing|Baltic Sea}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:S031}}
[[Category:Torpedo boats of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:World War I torpedo boats of Germany]]
[[Category:1913 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Elbing]]
[[Category:Ships built by Schichau]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1915]]
[[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]