U 129 (Navy)

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U 129 (Kriegsmarine)
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Type : IX C
Field Post Number : M-41 124
Shipyard: AG Weser , Bremen
Construction contract: August 7, 1939
Build number: 992
Keel laying: July 30, 1940
Launch: February 28, 1941
Commissioning: May 21, 1941
Commanders:
Calls: 10 activities
Sinkings:

29 ships (143,792 GRT)

Whereabouts: Sunk in Lorient itself on August 18, 1944

U 129 was a German submarine from the Type IX C , which in World War II by the German navy was used.

history

The order for the boat was awarded to AG Weser in Bremen on August 7, 1939 . The keel was laid on July 30, 1940, the launch on February 28, 1941, the commissioning under Lieutenant Asmus-Nicolai Clausen took place on May 21, 1941.

After its commissioning on May 21, 1941 until June 30, 1941, the boat belonged to the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin as a training boat . After training, U 129 belonged to the 2nd U-Flotilla in Lorient as a front boat from July 1, 1941 to August 18, 1944 .

During its service life, U 129 ran out of ten companies, which sunk 29 ships with a total tonnage of 143,792 GRT .

Use statistics

Armin Wandel , on-board doctor U 129 (July – December 1941)

First venture

The boat was on 23 July 1941 at 5:00 from Kiel, and ran around 11:52 in the July 24, 1941 Horten one. There U 129 carried out diving exercises at Agru-Süd until August 1, 1941. It left Horten on August 3, 1941 at 1:10 p.m. and entered Lorient on August 30, 1941 at 11:50 a.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 27-day and approximately 4,830 nm long journey in the North Atlantic , southwest of Iceland .

Second venture

The boat left Lorient on September 27, 1941 at 8:05 a.m., and returned there on October 8, 1941 at 5.45 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this twelve-day expedition to the Bay of Biscay , Cape Finisterre , the west coast of Spain and El Ferrol . U 129 was supposed to escort the German blockade breaker Kota Pinang (the Z-ship Klara ). The ship was sunk on October 3, 1941 by the British cruiser Kenya near Cape Finisterre. U 129 picked up the 119 survivors and dropped them off in the Spanish port of El Ferrol.

Third company

Admiral Lindau on U 129 in Lorient (December 28, 1941)

The boat left Lorient on October 21, 1941 at 4.40 p.m., and returned to Lorient on October 23, 1941 at 7.25 a.m. due to engine failure. It left Lorient on October 27, 1941 at 7:00 a.m., and returned there on December 28, 1941 at 2:30 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged during this 67-day and approximately 11,420 nm above and 111 nm underwater expedition in the South Atlantic and the Cape Verde Islands . U 129 was supplied with fuel on November 18, 1941 by the German supplier Python . After the sinking of the Python by the Dorsetshire and the rescue of the survivors by U 68 on December 3, 1941 108 man were U 68 applied and the retreat begun. On December 16, 1941, 70 Python men were handed over to the Italian submarine Finzi and 30 m³ of fuel were taken over.

Fourth venture

The boat left Lorient on January 25, 1942 at 7:00 p.m., and returned there on April 5, 1942 at 9:30 a.m. On this 70-day and approximately 10,620 nm above and 227 nm underwater expedition in the Central Atlantic , West Atlantic , the Caribbean and the Guiana coast, seven ships with 25,613 GRT were sunk.

  • February 20, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Nordvangen ( Lage ) with 2,400 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo . It had bauxite loaded and was on its way from Paramaribo via Trinidad to New Orleans . It was a total loss with 27 dead.
  • February 23, 1942: sinking of the British steamer George L. Torain ( Lage ) with 1,754 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Paramaribo (Suriname) to Trinidad. There were 15 dead and four survivors.
  • February 23, 1942: sinking of the US steamer West Zeda ( Lage ) with 5,658 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 6,500 tons of general cargo and magnesium ore and was on the way from Cape Town via Trinidad to Philadelphia . There were no casualties, 35 survivors.
  • February 23, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Lennox ( Lage ) with 1,904 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded bauxite and was on the way from Paramaribo (Suriname) via Trinidad to Port of Spain . There were two dead and 18 survivors.
  • February 28, 1942: sinking of the Panamanian steamer Bayou ( Lage ) with 2,605 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded manganese ore and was on his way from Rio de Janeiro to Canada . There was a survivor.
  • March 3, 1942: sinking of the American steamer Mary ( Lage ) with 5,104 GRT. The steamer was sunk by three torpedoes. He had loaded war supplies and was on his way from New York and San Juan to Suez . There was one dead and 34 survivors.
  • March 6, 1942: sinking of the American steamer Steel Age ( Lage ) with 6,188 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 2,700 tons of iron ore and 8,000 tons of jute and was on the way from Calcutta to New Orleans (USA). There were 34 dead and one survivor.

Fifth venture

The boat left Lorient on May 20, 1942 at 7.30 p.m., and returned there on August 21, 1942 at 1:50 p.m. On this 93 day long and approximately 13,800 nm above and 618 nm underwater expedition into the West Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Greater Antilles , eleven ships with 41,571 GRT were sunk. U 129 was supplied with 40 m³ of fuel by U 463 on August 3, 1942 .

  • June 10, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian motor ship LA Christensen ( Lage ) with 4,362 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Karachi to New York (USA). There were no casualties, 31 survivors.
  • June 12, 1942: sinking of the British steamer Hardwicke Grange ( Lage ) with 9,005 GRT. It was a solitary ship that was en route from Newport News to Buenos Aires . The steamer carried 700 tons of meat and was under the command of Captain Timothy McNamara. Commander Witt hit the Hardwicke Grange with two torpedoes and then had the ship sunk with artillery . Three crew members who were deployed in the engine room of the Hardwicke Grange were killed. The survivors had different fates. After thirteen days at sea, twenty people were able to reach the north coast of the Dominican Republic in a lifeboat . 23 crew members were picked up by the British tanker Athelprince and brought to Cuba . 32 other crew members were rescued from other ships and brought to Haiti and Jamaica .
  • June 17, 1942: sinking of the US steamer Millinocket ( Lage ) with 3,274 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,300 tons of bauxite and was on the way from St. Thomas to Mobile . There were 11 dead and 24 survivors.
  • June 27, 1942: sinking of the Mexican tanker Tuxpam ( Lage ) with 7,008 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo and artillery. He was in ballast and was on his way from Veracruz to Tampico . There were 8 dead and 31 survivors.
  • June 27, 1942: sinking of the Mexican tanker Las Choapas ( Lage ) with 2,005 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 160,000  barrels of crude oil and was on his way from Minatitlán to Tampico (Mexico). There were four dead and 28 survivors.
  • July 1, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Cadmus ( Lage ) with 1,855 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded bananas and was on his way from Tela (Honduras) to Galveston . There were two dead and 20 survivors.
  • July 2, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian motor ship Gundersen ( Lage ) with 1,841 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 16,255 bananas and was on his way from Tela to Galveston (USA). There was one dead and 22 survivors.
  • July 5, 1942: sinking of the Soviet tanker Tuapse ( Lage ) with 6,320 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He drove in ballast and was on the way from Durban to New Orleans (USA). There were ten dead and 36 survivors.
  • July 12, 1942: sinking of the US steamer Tachira ( Lage ) with 2,325 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,100 tons of coffee and cocoa and was on the way from Barranquilla (Colombia) to New Orleans (USA). The steamer was armed with a 3 inch cannon (7.92 cm). There were five dead and 34 survivors.
  • July 19, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian steamer Port Antonio with 1,266 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded coffee and was on his way from Puerto Barrios to New Orleans (USA). There were 13 dead and 11 survivors.
  • July 23, 1942: sinking of the US steamer Onondaga ( Lage ) with 2,310 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded magnesium ore and was on his way from Nuevitas (Cuba) to Havana. There were 18 dead and 14 survivors.

Sixth venture

The boat left Lorient on September 28, 1942 at 6:00 p.m., and returned to Lorient on January 6, 1943 at 10:50 a.m. On this 99 day long and approx. 12,900 nm above and 647 nm underwater enterprise in the western Atlantic, the Caribbean and to Trinidad five ships with 32,613 GRT were sunk. U 129 was supplied with 45 m³ of fuel by U 463 on December 27, 1942 .

  • October 16, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian motor ship Trafalgar ( Lage ) with 5,542 GRT. The ship was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,900 tons of general cargo including 1,200 tons of sunflower oil , 2,400 tons of hides and 200 tons of quebracho and was on the way from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to New York (USA). There were no casualties, 43 survivors.
  • October 23, 1942: sinking of the US steamer Reuben Tipton ( Lage ) with 6,829 GRT. The steamer was sunk by four torpedoes. He had loaded 8,300 tons of general cargo including 3,000 tons of chrome ore and was on the way from Port Elizabeth to Trinidad and New York. The steamer was armed with 1 × 4 inches, 4 × caliber 50 and 2 × caliber 30. There were three dead and 49 survivors.
  • October 30, 1942: sinking of the US steamer West Kebar ( Lage ) with 5,620 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 5,600 tons of manganese ore, 1,000 tons of mahogany wood and 950 tons of palm oil and was on the way from Freetown (Sierra Leone) to St. Thomas (Virgin Islands). The steamer was armed with 1 × 4 inches, 4 × 20 mm and 2 × caliber 30. There were 14 dead and 43 survivors.
  • November 5, 1942: Sinking of the American tanker Meton ( Lage ) with 7,027 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had 66,000 barrels of fuel oil loaded and was on the way from Curaçao to Cienfuegos . The ship belonged to convoy TAG-18. There was one dead and 50 survivors.
  • November 5, 1942: sinking of the Norwegian tanker Astrell ( Lage ) with 7,595 GRT. The tanker was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 10,500 tons of crude oil and was on the way from Curacao to Guantanamo Bay . There were no casualties, 42 survivors.

Seventh venture

The boat left Lorient on March 11, 1943 at 5:00 p.m., and returned there on May 29, 1943 at 2:35 p.m. During this 79-day and approx. 10,500 nm above and 705 nm underwater expedition to the West Atlantic, the Greater Antilles, Florida and the Sargasso Sea , three ships with a total of 26,590 GRT were sunk. U 129 was supplied with 20 m³ of fuel by U 459 on May 21, 1943 .

  • April 2, 1943: sinking of the British motor ship Melbourne Star ( Lage ) with 11,076 GRT. The ship was sunk by two torpedoes. He had 8,285 t of military equipment, including torpedoes and ammunition, and 31 passengers on board and was on the way from Liverpool and Greenock via Melbourne and Sydney to Cristóbal . There were 114 dead (including all passengers) and four survivors.
  • April 24, 1943: Sinking of the US steamer Santa Catalina ( Lage ) with 6,507 GRT. The steamer was sunk by three torpedoes. He had loaded 6,700 tons of tanks , steel , car tires , ammunition and planes and was on his way from Philadelphia (USA) to Basra . The steamer was armed with a 5-inch cannon and nine 20-mm automatic cannons. There were no casualties, 95 survivors.
  • May 4, 1943: sinking of the Panamanian tanker Panam with 7,277 GRT. The tanker was sunk by two torpedoes. He was ballasted and on his way from Hampton Roads to Lake Charles . There were three dead and 48 survivors.

Eighth venture

The boat left Lorient on July 27, 1943 at 12:45 p.m. and returned there on September 5, 1943 at 2:45 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this 40-day, 4,360 nm above and 1,070 nm underwater expedition in the mid-Atlantic, west of the Azorean Islands. Four submarines were supplied.

  • August 16, 1943: U 333 is supplied with 30 m³ of fuel and provisions for three weeks.
  • August 16, 1943: U 571 is supplied with 30 m³ of fuel and provisions for two weeks.
  • August 19, 1943: U 618 is supplied with 10 m³ of fuel and provisions for eight days.
  • August 19, 1943: U 600 is supplied with 10 m³ of fuel.

Ninth venture

The boat left Lorient on October 9, 1943 at 4:00 p.m. and entered St. Nazaire on October 11, 1943 at 9:15 a.m. for repairs . It left St. Nazaire on October 12, 1943 at 6.15 p.m. and returned to Lorient on January 31, 1944 at 10.15 a.m. On this 114 day long and 10,190 nm above and 3,197 nm underwater expedition in the Central Atlantic, to Bermuda, Cape Hatteras, Florida and south of Newfoundland , a ship with 5,441 GRT was sunk. U 129 was supplied with 80 m³ of fuel by U 488 on November 13, 1943 .

  • 4th December 1943: sinking of the Cuban steamer Libertad ( Lage ) with 5,441 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 8,000 t of sugar and was on the way to Baltimore (USA). There were 25 dead and 18 survivors.

Tenth venture

The boat left Lorient on March 22, 1944 at 6:30 p.m. and returned there on July 19, 1944 at 6:02 a.m. On this 119 day long and 8,508 nm above and 3,645 nm underwater expedition into the South Atlantic, to the Brazilian southeast coast and off Rio de Janeiro, two ships with 11,964 GRT were sunk. U 129 was supplied with 55 m³ of fuel by U 488 on April 16, 1944 .

  • May 6, 1944: sinking of the British steamer Anadyr ( Lage ) with 5,321 GRT. The steamer was sunk by two torpedoes. He had loaded 7,791 t of general cargo and was on the way from New York (USA) via Trinidad to Cape Town (South Africa) and Port Elizabeth (South Africa). The ship belonged to the disbanded convoy TJ-30 . There were 14 dead and 34 survivors.
  • May 11, 1944: sinking of the British steamer Empire Heath ( Lage ) with 6,643 GRT. The steamer was sunk by a FAT torpedo . He had loaded iron ore and was on the way from Vitória (Brazil) via Freetown (Sierra Leone) to Loch Ewe . It was a total loss with 56 dead.

Whereabouts

The boat was sunk in Lorient itself on August 18, 1944. It could no longer be relocated to Norway due to a lack of spare parts. On May 10, 1945, only American booty, it was handed over to the French, who cannibalized it to restore U 123 . The remains were demolished in 1946.

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 .
  • 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

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ian M. Malcolm: "Shipping Company Losses of the Second World War. Book II", Moira Brown, Dundee 2020, ISBN 978-1-65661-255-7 , page 75