U 165 (Navy)

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U 165 (Kriegsmarine)
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Type : IX C
Field Post Number : M-47 655
Shipyard: Seebeck shipyard , Geestemünde
Construction contract: September 25, 1938
Build number: 704
Keel laying: August 30, 1940
Launch: August 15, 1941
Commissioning: February 3, 1942
Commanders:

February 3, 1942 - September 27, 1942:
Kkpt. Eberhard Hoffmann

Calls: 1 company
Sinkings:
  • 3 ships (11,700 GRT)
  • 1 gunboat (358 t)
Whereabouts: Sunk in the Bay of Biscay on September 27, 1942

U 165 was a German submarine from the Type IX C , which in World War II by the German navy was used.

Technology and history

U 165 was a submersible for oceanic use. It was a two-hull type submarine and had a displacement of 1120  t above and 1232 t under water. It had a length of 76.76  m , a width of 6.76 m and a draft of 4.70 m. With the two 2200 HP MAN nine-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines M 9 V 40/46 with supercharging, a top speed over water of 18.3  kn could be achieved. At a speed of 10 kn, 12,000 nautical miles could be covered. The two 500  PS SSM double E-machines GU 345/34 had 62 × 62 AFA type 44 MAL 740 W battery cells. A top speed of 7.3 knots was achieved under water. A distance of 64 nautical miles could be covered at a speed of 4 kn. 22 torpedoes or up to 44 TMA or 66 TMB mines could be ejected from 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes . The diving depth was 100 - 200 m. The quick dive time was 35 seconds. It had a 10.5-cm Utof L / 45 gun with 180 rounds and 1 × 3.7-cm anti-aircraft gun with 2625 rounds, 1 × 2-cm anti-aircraft gun with 4250 rounds. From 1943/44, the 10.5 cm cannon was removed from this type of boat and 4 × 2 cm twin anti-aircraft guns with 8,500 rounds were installed. The crew could consist of four officers and 44 men. The cost of building was 6,448,000 Reichsmarks .

The order for the boat was awarded to the Seebeck shipyard in Geestemünde on September 25, 1939 . The keel was laid on August 30, 1940, the launch on August 15, 1941, the commissioning under Corvette Captain Eberhard Hoffmann finally took place on February 3, 1942.

U 165 belonged from February 3, 1942 to August 31, 1942 as a training boat of the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin and from September 1 to its sinking on September 27, 1942 as a front boat of the 10th U-Flotilla in Lorient .

It completed a patrol , on the three ships it with 15,011 BRT sunk and a patrol boat with 358 t and could damage three ships with 18,447 tons. U 165 was sunk on September 27, 1942 in the Bay of Biscay by British air forces. There were no survivors.

Commanders

Eberhard Hoffmann

Eberhard Hoffmann was born on May 16, 1907 in Diedenhofen. On April 1, 1925, he joined the Imperial Navy as an officer candidate . After completing basic and board training as well as various ensign courses, he passed the main officer examination. After completing his training, he was deployed in various commandos. In June 1939 he was transferred to the Navy High Command / 1. Naval War Command transferred and served there, with a short detour, from November 1940 to December 1940 on the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper , until March 1941. In April 1941 he went to the 1st U-Training Division in Neustadt (Commander Hans Ibbeken ) and in May 1941 to the torpedo school in Flensburg - Mürwik . In July 1941 he came as a commander's student on U 109, where he learned from the knight's cross bearer Heinrich Bleichrodt , on two undertakings . In December 1941 he went to the 6th Warship Building Training Department in Bremen for building instruction for U 165, and then on February 3, 1942, he became its commander. From March 4, 1942 to August 6, 1942 the crew was trained in the Baltic Sea and the individual training flotillas. Hoffmann only commanded an incomplete operation with the new boat. It was sunk on this first venture by an enemy aircraft with the entire crew. Eberhard Hoffmann was 35 years old. His last rank was corvette captain (November 1, 1939). Posthumously he was promoted to frigate captain with seniority from September 1, 1942 .

Use statistics

First venture

The boat ran at 7.00 am on August 7, 1942 from Kiel made. U 165 operated in the western Atlantic , the Belle Isle Strait , off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence .

  • On August 28, 1942, two ships were torpedoed in the North Atlantic, north of Newfoundland. The US steamer Arlyn ( Lage ) with 3,304 GRT was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,000 tons of gas , trucks , dynamite and general cargo and was on his way from New York to Hudson Bay . There were nine dead and 43 survivors. The ship was armed with 1 × 4 inch cannon and 4 × 20 mm anti-aircraft weapons. The second steamer was the US fleet tanker USS Laramie (AO 16) with 7,252 GRT. He was damaged by a torpedo. He had loaded 361,000 gallons of aviation gasoline and 55,000 barrels of oil and was en route from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Greenland . There were four dead. The ships belonged to convoy SG-6.
  • On September 7, 1942, two ships were sunk in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Greek steamer Aeas ( Lage ) with 4,729 GRT. He had loaded 1,824 logs and 1,490 tons of steel and was on the way from Three Rivers to Great Britain. There were two dead and 31 survivors. The second ship was the Canadian patrol boat HMCS Racoon ( Lage ) with 358 t. The HMCS Raccoon was an escort of Convoy QS-33, to which both ships belonged. The Raccoon was a total loss with 37 dead.
  • On September 16, 1942, three ships were torpedoed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The British steamer Essex Lance with 6,625 GRT was damaged by a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo and was on his way from London to Montreal . There was one dead and 39 survivors. The second ship was the Greek steamer Joannis ( Lage ) with 3,667 GRT. He was sunk by a torpedo. He had loaded 4,884 tons of anthracite coal and was on his way from Swansea and Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Montreal. There were no casualties, 32 survivors. The third ship, the US steamer Pan York with 4,570 GRT, was damaged by a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo on board and was en route from Reykjavík to Montreal. All three ships belonged to convoy SQ-36.

On September 27, 1942, U 165 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay by British air forces. There were no survivors.

Whereabouts

U 165 was sunk on September 27, 1942 in the Bay of Biscay, at position 47 ° 5 '  N , 5 ° 30'  W by the British Vickers Wellington Q of the ( Czech ) Squadron 51 with depth charges. There were no survivors (51 dead).