U 123 (Navy)

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U 123 (Kriegsmarine)
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Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MW-4006-31, U-Boot U-123 in See.jpg
U 123 at sea, crew at the front gun; January / February 1942
Type : IX B
Field Post Number : M-08 800
Shipyard: AG Weser ( Deschimag ), Bremen
Construction contract: December 15, 1937
Build number: 955
Keel laying: April 15, 1939
Launch: March 2, 1940
Commissioning: May 30, 1940
Commanders:
Flotilla:
  • 2nd U-Flotilla training boat
    May 30, 1940 - September 30, 1940
  • 2nd U-Flotilla front boat
    October 1, 1940 - June 17, 1944
  • Front school
    boat June 17, 1944 - August 1944
Calls: 12 activities
Sinkings:
  • 46 ships (238,588 GRT)
  • 1 submarine (683 t)
Whereabouts: decommissioned on June 17, 1944 in Lorient; Blasted himself there on August 19, 1944

U 123 was a submarine of type IX B , which in World War II by the German navy was used.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to Werft AG Weser ( Deschimag ) in Bremen on December 15, 1937 . The keel was laid on April 15, 1939, the launch on March 2, 1940, the commissioning under Lieutenant Karl-Heinz Moehle finally took place on May 30, 1940.

The boat belonged from the commissioning on May 30, 1940 to September 30, 1940 as a training boat for the 2nd U-Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven . After training, U 123 belonged to the 2nd U-Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven and Lorient as a front boat from October 1, 1940 to June 17, 1944 . After being taken out of service on June 17, 1944, it was used as a front school boat in Lorient until August 1944

U 123 took twelve during his service patrols on which it 46 ships with 238,588 GRT sunk and could damage the six ships with 53,568 tons.

Use statistics

First venture

The boat left Kiel on September 21, 1940 at 5 a.m. and entered Lorient on October 23, 1940 at 11:25 a.m. On this 33-day and approximately 5,400 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic , the North Channel , and west of the Rockall Bank , six ships with 25,878 GRT were sunk.

  • October 6, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Benlawers ( Lage ) with 5,943 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo . He had loaded army goods including trucks and was on his way from Swansea to Durban and Port Said . The ship was a straggler of convoys OB-221 with 35 ships. There were 24 dead and 27 survivors.
  • October 10, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Graigwen ( Lage ) with 3,697 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,160 tons of corn and was on the way from Montreal via Sydney to Barry Roads . The ship belonged to convoy SC-6 with 38 ships. There were seven dead and 27 survivors.
  • 19 October 1940: sinking of the British steamer Sedgepool ( Lage ) with 5,556 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 8,720 t of wheat and was on the way from Montreal (Canada) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Manchester . The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were three dead and 36 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the Dutch steamer Boekelo ( Lage ) with 2,118 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,018 t of lumber and was on the way from Chatham (New Brunswick) to London . The ship was a straggler of Convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were no casualties, 25 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Skekatika ( Lage ) with 5,458 GRT. The steamer was sunk by four torpedoes. He had loaded 2,003 t of steel and 6,000 t of mine timber and was on the way from Gaspé via Sydney (New Brunswick) to Hartlepool . The ship was a straggler of Convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There were no casualties, 36 survivors.
  • October 19, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Clintonia ( Lage ) with 3,106 GRT. The steamer was sunk by artillery . He had loaded 3,850 t of lumber and was on the way from St. Francis ( Nova Scotia ) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Manchester. The ship belonged to convoy SC-7 with 35 ships. There was one dead and 35 survivors.

Second venture

The boat left Lorient on November 14, 1940 at 5:00 p.m., and returned there on November 28, 1940 at 2:30 p.m. On this 13-day and 2,300-nm-long undertaking in the North Atlantic, west of the North Channel, six ships with a total of 27,895 GRT were sunk.

  • November 22, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Cree ( Lage ) with 4,791 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 5,500 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Pepel ( Sierra Leone ) via Freetown to Workington (Great Britain). The ship was a straggler of convoy SL-53 with 24 ships. It was a total loss with 45 dead.
  • November 23, 1940: sinking of the Greek steamer Colchis with 2,219 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded grain and was on his way from Colchis, Canada, via Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Belfast and Cardiff . The ship belonged to convoy OB-244 with 46 ships. It was a total loss with 23 dead.
  • November 23, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Oakcrest ( Lage ) with 5,407 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from Liverpool to New York. The ship was a straggler of convoy OB-244 with 46 ships. There were 35 dead and six survivors.
  • November 23, 1940: sinking of the British steamer Tymeric ( Lage ) with 5,228 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,150 tons of coal and was on the way from Kingston upon Hull to Buenos Aires . The ship was a straggler of convoy OB-244 with 46 ships. There were 71 dead and five survivors.
  • November 23, 1940: sinking of the British steamer King Idwal ( Lage ) with 5,115 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Liverpool to Baltimore . The ship belonged to convoy OB-244 with 46 ships. There were twelve dead and 28 survivors.
  • November 23, 1940: sinking of the Swedish steamer Anten ( Lage ) with 5,135 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on his way from Liverpool to South Africa . The ship belonged to convoy OB-244 with 46 ships. There was one dead and 32 survivors.

Third company

The boat left Lorient on January 14, 1941 at 6:00 p.m., and returned there on February 28, 1941 at 5:15 p.m. On this 44-day and approximately 6,750 nm long journey in the North Atlantic, west of the North Channel and Ireland , four ships with 22,186 GRT were sunk.

  • January 24, 1941: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Vespasian ( Lage ) with 1,570 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Tyne and Oban to the Mackenzie . It was a total loss with 18 dead.
  • February 4, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Empire Engineer ( Lage ) with 5,358 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,047 tons of steel and was on the way from Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Newport . The ship was a straggler of convoy SC-20 with 38 ships. It was a total loss with 39 dead.
  • February 15, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Alnmoor ( Lage ) with 6,573 GRT. The steamer was sunk by six torpedoes, only one of which hit. He had loaded general cargo including flour, steel and iron alloys and was on the way from New York via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Glasgow . The ship was a straggler of convoy SC-21 with 38 ships. It was a total loss with 55 dead.
  • February 24, 1941: sinking of the Dutch steamer Grootekerk ( Lage ) with 8,685 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded coal and general cargo and was on the way from Swansea (Great Britain) via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Penang . It was a total loss with 52 dead.

Fourth venture

The boat left Lorient on April 10, 1941 at 6:00 p.m., and returned there on May 11, 1941 at 8:24 a.m. A ship with 6,991 GRT was sunk on this 31-day and 5,952-nm-long expedition in the North Atlantic, southwest of Iceland .

  • April 17, 1941: sinking of the Swedish motor ship Venezuela with 6,991 GRT. The ship was sunk by five torpedoes, three of which were hits. It had pulp loaded and was on its way from Gothenburg to Rio de Janeiro . It was a total loss with 49 dead.

Fifth venture

Submarines U-123 and U-201 left Lorient on June 8, 1941

The boat left Lorient on June 8, 1941 at 6.41 p.m., but had to return to Lorient on June 12, 1941 at 8.45 p.m. due to engine problems. It left Lorient on June 15, 1941 at 8:00 a.m. and returned there on August 23, 1941 at 9:10 a.m. On this 76-day and 12,253 nm above and 151 nm underwater expedition in the mid-Atlantic , the Cape Verde Islands , off Freetown, Gibraltar and the Azorean Islands , five ships with 21,507 GRT were sunk. U 123 entered Las Palmas on June 25, 1941 to replenish 40 m³ of fuel and provisions; it left there again at 6.40 a.m. on the same day.

  • June 20, 1941: sinking of the Portuguese steamer Ganda ( Lage ) with 4,333 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He had general cargo, port wine and 16 passengers on board and was on the way from Lisbon to Luanda . Three crew members and two passengers were killed. 47 crew members and 14 passengers were rescued. Portugal had remained neutral during World War II. The BdU accordingly ordered Commander Hardegen to remove this sinking from the war diary.
  • June 27, 1941: sinking of the British steamer PLM 22 ( Lage ) with 5,646 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,600 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Pepel (Sierra Leone) via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Middlesbrough . The ship belonged to convoy SL-78 with 25 ships. There were 33 dead and twelve survivors.
  • June 27, 1941: sinking of the Dutch steamer Oberon ( Lage ) with 1,996 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,355 t of palm kernels and 253 t of general cargo and was on the way from Douala to Kingston upon Hull. The ship belonged to convoy SL-78 with 25 ships. There were six dead and 28 survivors.
  • June 29, 1941: sinking of the British steamer Rio Azul ( Lage ) with 4,088 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,700 t of iron ore and was on the way from Pepel (Sierra Leone) via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Middlesbrough (Great Britain). The ship belonged to convoy SL-78 with 25 ships. There were 33 dead and nine survivors.
  • 3rd July 1941: sinking of the British steamship Auditor ( Lage ) with 5,444 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded general cargo and ten planes and was on the way from London and Cape Town to Beira . The ship belonged to convoy OB-337 with 51 ships. There was one dead and 75 survivors.

Sixth venture

The boat left Lorient on October 14, 1941 at 1.30 p.m., and returned there on November 22, 1941 at 10 a.m. On this 40-day and 6,666 nm long journey into the North Atlantic, southeast of Greenland , the Belle Isle Strait and Newfoundland , a ship with 13,984 GRT was damaged.

  • October 21, 1941: Damage to the British auxiliary cruiser Aurania (F.28) with 13,984 GRT. The auxiliary cruiser was damaged by three torpedoes, two of which were hits. He entered Rothesay Bay on October 23, 1941 . There were three dead. The ship was put back into service 19 months later as the workshop ship Artifex .

Seventh venture

U-123 entered Lorient on February 9, 1942

The boat left Lorient on December 23, 1941 at 11 a.m., and returned there on February 9, 1942 at 3 p.m. On this 45-day and 8,021 nm above and 256 nm underwater expedition in the west Atlantic, the east coast of the USA , off Cape Hatteras and New York , eight ships with 52,079 GRT were sunk and one ship with 8,206 GRT was damaged. U 123 belonged to the Paukenschlag company .

  • January 12, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Cyclops ( Lage ) with 9,076 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes, had 6,905 t general cargo and 78 Chinese seamen as passengers on board and was on its way from Hong Kong via Auckland , Cristóbal (Panama) and Halifax to Great Britain. 41 crew members and 46 passengers were killed, 62 crew members and 32 passengers were rescued.
  • January 14, 1942: sinking of the Panamanian tanker Norness ( Lage ) with 9,577 GRT. The tanker was sunk by three torpedoes, two of which were hit. He had loaded 12,222 tons of fuel and was on the way from New York via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Liverpool. There were 2 dead and 39 survivors.
  • January 15, 1942: Sinking of the British tanker Coimbra ( Lage ) with 6,768 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 9,600 tons of lubricating oil and was on his way from New York to Great Britain. There were 36 dead and ten survivors.
  • 19 January 1942: sinking of the Panamanian steamer Olympic ( Lage ) with 5,335 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo and was on his way from Curaçao to Baltimore. The ship has been missing since it sailed. It could have been sunk by U 123 . But it could also have been the US steamer Norvana with 2,677 GRT. He had loaded 3,980 tons of ore and was on the way from Nuvitas ( Cuba ) to Philadelphia . It was a total loss with 29 dead.
  • 19 January 1942: sinking of the US steamer City of Atlanta ( Lage ) with 5,269 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,780 t general cargo and was on the way from New York to Savannah . There were 43 dead and three survivors.
  • January 19, 1942: Damage to the US Malay with 8,206 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo and artillery. He drove in ballast on the way from Philadelphia (USA) to Port Arthur . There were five dead and 34 survivors.
  • 19 January 1942: sinking of the Latvian steamer Ciltvaira ( Lage ) with 3,779 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,200 tons of newsprint and was en route from Corner Brook and Norfolk to Savannah. There were two dead and 29 survivors.
  • January 25, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Culebra ( Lage ) with 3,044 GRT. The steamer was sunk by artillery. He had loaded general cargo and aircraft parts and was on his way from London to Bermuda and Kingston . The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy ON-53 with 26 ships. It was a total loss with 45 dead.
  • January 27, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Pan Norway ( Lage ) with 9,231 GRT. The tanker was sunk by artillery. He was ballasted and on his way from London and Loch Ewe to Aruba . There were no casualties - 41 survivors.

Eighth venture

The boat left Lorient on March 2, 1942 at 7.30 p.m., and returned there on May 2, 1942 at 10.50 a.m. On this 60 day long and 8,608 nm above and 310 nm underwater expedition in the west Atlantic, the USA east coast, off New York, Cape Hatteras, Florida and Key West , ten ships with 57,150 GRT and one ship with 7,057 GRT were sunk damaged.

  • March 22, 1942: Sinking of the American tanker Muskogee ( Lage ) with 7,034 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had 67,265 barrels of heavy oil loaded and was on the way from Trinidad to Halifax (Nova Scotia). It was a total loss with 34 dead.
  • March 24, 1942: Sinking of the British tanker Empire Steel ( Lage ) with 8,138 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes and artillery. He had loaded 11,000 tons of oil and gasoline and was on the way from Baton Rouge via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Great Britain. There were 39 dead and 8 survivors.
  • March 27, 1942: Sinking of the US Q-ship USS Atik (Carolyn) ( Lage ) with 3,209 GRT. U 123 torpedoed the USS Atik and then emerged to sink the supposed merchant ship with the on-board cannon. The Q ship immediately opened fire, whereupon U 123 carried out an alarm diving maneuver. The USS Atik broke down, which allowed the submarine to sink the ship with a second underwater attack. The battle cost all 141 crew members of the Atik their lives, the damage to the submarine was so minor that it could continue its patrol. Only one ensign from U 123 was seriously injured by the gunfire of the USS Atik and died shortly after the sinking of the USS Atik.
  • April 2, 1942: Damage to the American tanker Liebre with 7,057 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo and artillery. He was in ballast and was en route from New York to Beaumont (Quebec) . There were nine dead and 25 survivors.
  • April 8, 1942:
    • Damage to the US tanker Oklahoma with 9,244 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo and artillery. He had loaded 105,000 barrels of crude oil and was en route from Port Arthur to Providence . There were 19 dead and 18 survivors. The ship was lifted and repaired. It was finally sunk by U 532 on March 28, 1945 .
    • Damage to the US tanker Esso Baton Rouge with 7,989 GRT. The tanker was damaged by a torpedo. He had 89,398 tons of fuel oil loaded and was on his way from Baytown to New York. There were three dead and 39 survivors. The ship was lifted and repaired. It was finally sunk by U 202 on February 23, 1943 .
  • April 9, 1942: sinking of the US steamer Esparta ( Lage ) with 3,365 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. It had loaded 1,450 tons of bananas , coffee and general cargo and was on its way from Puerto Cortés ( Honduras ) to New York. There was one dead and 39 survivors.
  • April 11, 1942: sinking of the American tanker Gulfamerica ( Lage ) with 8,081 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He had 101,500 barrels of fuel oil loaded and was en route from Port Arthur, Texas to New York. There were 19 dead and 29 survivors. The ship was armed with 1 × 4 inches and 2 × caliber .50.
  • April 13, 1942:
    • Sinking of the US steamer Leslie with 2,609 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,225 t of raw sugar and was on the way from Antilla (Cuba) via Havana to New York. There were four dead and 28 survivors. The ship was armed with 2 × .30 caliber.
    • Sinking of the Swedish motor ship Korsholm with 2,647 GRT. The ship was sunk by artillery. It had 4,593 tons of phosphate loaded and was on its way from Tampa via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Liverpool. There were nine dead and 17 survivors.
  • April 17, 1942: sinking of the American steamer Alcoa Guide ( Lage ) with 4,834 GRT. The steamer was sunk by artillery. He had 5,890 tons of military equipment including 8 tanks on board and was on the way from New York to Pointe-à-Pitre . There were six dead and 28 survivors.

Relocation trip

The boat left Lorient on May 16, 1942 at 8 p.m. and entered Bergen on May 24, 1942 . It ran on 25 May 1942 at 20:00 there again, and on 26 May 1942 at 18.00 in Kristiansand one. She left Kristiansand the same day at 7 p.m. and moored in Aarhus on May 27, 1942 at 9 p.m. U123 left Aarhus on May 28, 1942 at 4 p.m. and arrived in Kiel on May 29, 1942 at 10 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this eleven-day transfer trip from France via Norway to Germany, across the North Atlantic.

Ninth venture

The boat left Kiel on December 5, 1942 at 8:00 a.m. and entered Kristiansand on December 7, 1942 at 6:30 p.m. to replenish fuel. It left Kristiansand on December 8, 1942 at 7:00 a.m. and returned there at 10:00 a.m. on the same day due to bad weather. It finally left Kristiansand on December 9, 1942, and entered Lorient on February 6, 1943. On this 63 day long and 7,866 nm above and 636 nm underwater expedition into the North Atlantic, southeast of Newfoundland, a ship with 3,385 GRT was sunk and a ship with 7,068 GRT was damaged. U 123 was supplied with 22.3 m³ of fuel by U 117 on January 12, 1943 . The boat belonged to the group with the code name "Spitz".

  • December 29, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Baron Cochrane ( Lage ) with 3,385 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 4,376 tons of coal and was on the way from Cardiff and Belfast to Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. The ship was a straggler of convoy ONS-154 with 45 ships. There were two dead and 42 survivors.
  • December 29, 1942: Damage to the British steamer Empire Shackleton with 7,068 GRT. The steamer was damaged by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,000 tons of general cargo, 1,000 tons of ammunition and aircraft and was on the way from Liverpool to Halifax (Nova Scotia). The ship was a straggler of convoy ONS-154 with 45 ships. It was sunk by U 435 on the same day . This CAM ship was equipped with a catapult and a Hawker Hurricane . There were no casualties and 69 survivors.

Tenth venture

The boat left Lorient on March 13, 1943 at 5:00 p.m. and returned there on June 8, 1943 at 6:30 p.m. On this 86 day long and 11,236 nm above and 731 nm underwater undertaking in the mid-Atlantic, the Canary Islands and off Freetown, five ships with 28,173 GRT were sunk. U 123 was supplied with 60 m³ of fuel by U 460 on May 18, 1943 . It belonged to the group with the code name "Seeräuber".

  • April 8, 1943: sinking of the Spanish motor ship Castillo Montealegre ( Lage ) with 3,972 GRT. The ship was sunk by two torpedoes. It had loaded general cargo and wood and was on its way from Fernando Poó to Valencia . There were twelve dead and 29 survivors.
  • April 18, 1943: Sinking of the British submarine HMS P 615 ( Lage ) with 683 t. The submarine was sunk by two torpedoes. It was a total loss with 44 dead.
  • April 18, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Empire Bruce ( Lage ) with 7,459 GRT. The steamer was sunk by three torpedoes. It had loaded 9,141 t of flaxseed and was on its way from Buenos Aires (Argentina) via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Great Britain. There were no casualties, 49 survivors.
  • April 30, 1943: sinking of the Swedish motor ship Nanking ( Lage ) with 5,931 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. It had loaded 8,500 tons of ore, nut oil and cotton and was on its way from Bombay to Great Britain. There were no casualties, 32 survivors.
  • May 5, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Holmbury ( Lage ) with 4,566 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He had loaded 7,798 t of general cargo and was on the way from Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Montevideo via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Great Britain. There were two dead and 44 survivors. The captain of the ship was captured by U 123 .
  • May 9, 1943: sinking of the British steamer Kanbe with 6,244 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded general cargo including 3,500 tons of copper and was on the way from Alexandria and Takoradi via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Great Britain. The ship was a straggler of convoy TS-38. There were 61 dead and five survivors.

Eleventh venture

The boat left Lorient on August 1, 1943 at 8:00 p.m., and returned there on August 5, 1943 at 1:34 p.m. After installing a Hagenuk budgie radio measuring device, the boat left Lorient on August 16, 1943 at 7:00 p.m. At the height of Finistere the boat was attacked by Allied naval forces, but managed to escape. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 86-day and approximately 8,580 nm above and 1,800 nm underwater undertaking in the western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico , the Guiana coast and Trinidad. Commander Schroeter reported on September 21st that he had attacked a heavily secured convoy of tankers and Liberty freighters and torpedoed two or three ships on the so-called "bauxite route" off French Guiana , but this information could not be confirmed by Allied casualty reports become. On its return to the Atlantic coast of northern France, U 123 was attacked by a British mosquito . For a few months, some of these fighter jets had been equipped with powerful guns. This Mosquito also had such a Molins cannon , called "Tsetse", and hit the boat with eight volleys, with the tower being perforated. Schroeter called in air support for his damaged boat, as U 123 was unclear as a result of the hits. On November 7, 1943, the boat returned to the Lorient base at 4:48 p.m.

Twelfth venture

The boat left Lorient on December 29, 1943 at 3:30 p.m. and returned there on December 30, 1943 at 9:15 p.m. due to leaks. It left Lorient on January 9, 1944 at 5:00 p.m., and returned there on April 24, 1944 at 7:00 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 101 day long and approximately 9,300 nm above and 2,540 nm underwater undertaking in the Central Atlantic and off Freetown. U 123 was supplied with 42 m³ of fuel and provisions for two weeks by U 488 on March 29, 1944 .

Whereabouts

U-123 was decommissioned by the Navy on June 17, 1944 in Lorient . When the base was cleared, it could not be relocated to Norway due to the lack of batteries; it was partially cannibalized and blown up in Lorient on August 19, 1944. After the war, the wreck was first awarded to American booty, then to France. It was repaired by the French in Lorient ( Keroman submarine bunker ) and put back into service. The boat initially operated under its old name for the French Navy , but was then renamed Blaison on June 23, 1947 . The name was changed in honor of Capitaine de Frégate Louis Blaison, who went down in February 1942 with the French U-cruiser Surcouf and the entire crew. Blaison drove under various commanders until she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on August 1, 1957. The boat was renamed Q 165 on August 15, 1959 and was subsequently scrapped.

FranceFrance (national flag of the sea) - List of French commanders of U-123 and Blaison (S611)
Rank Surname from to
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Yves Aubury October 13, 1945 October 15, 1946
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Fernand Arnaud October 16, 1946 September 8, 1949
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jacques Guerrier September 9, 1949 February 23, 1951
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jean Dumont February 24, 1951 March 2, 1953
Lieutenant de Vaisseau André Labbe March 2, 1953 September 15, 1954
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jean-Pierre Ferrand September 16, 1954 March 27, 1956
Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jean Gelas March 28, 1956 August 1, 1957

literature

  • Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 1: The Hunters. 1939-1942. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-12345-X .
  • Clay Blair: The Submarine War. Volume 2: The Hunted, 1942–1945. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-16059-2 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 1: The German submarine commanders. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1996, ISBN 3-8132-0490-1 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 2: U-boat construction in German shipyards. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0512-6 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 5: The knight's cross bearers of the submarine weapon from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler and Son, Hamburg et al. 2003, ISBN 3-8132-0515-0 .
  • Michael Gannon: Operation bang. The German submarine war against the USA. From the American by Klaus-Dieter Schmidt. Ullstein, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-548-33232-3 .
  • Erich Gröner : Die Handelsflotten der Welt 1942 and supplement 1944. JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-469-00552-4 (reprint of the 1942–1943 edition).
  • Erich Gröner: Search list for ship names (= The merchant fleets of the world. Supplementary volume). JF Lehmanns Verlag Munich 1976, ISBN 3-469-00553-2 (reprint of the 1943 edition).

See also

Web links

Commons : U 123  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The U-Boat War 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. 2001.
  2. ^ Robert M. Browning, Jr .: US merchant vessel was casualties of World War II. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD 1996, ISBN 1-55750-087-8 .
  3. ^ A b Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 2. The Hunted 1942-1945 , Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-453-16059-2 , page 483
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Luc Braeuer: L'étonnante odysseè du U-123 Blaison first edition 2016, Liv'Editions, ISBN 978-2-84497-339-9 , 2016, p. 138ff