U 170

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U 170
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Type : IX C / 40
Field Post Number : M-49 255
Shipyard: Seebeck shipyard , Geestemünde
Construction contract: August 15, 1940
Build number: 709
Keel laying: May 21, 1941
Launch: June 6, 1942
Commissioning: January 19, 1943
Commanders:
Calls: 4 patrols
Sinkings:

1 ship (4,663 GRT)

Whereabouts: on November 29, 1945 in the North Atlantic ( Operation Deadlight )

U 170 was a German submarine of the type IX C / 40 that was used by the German navy during World War II .

Technology and history

U 170 was a submersible for oceanic use. It was a two-hull type submarine and had a displacement of 1144  t above and 1247 t under water. It had a length of 76.76  m , a width of 6.86 m and a draft of 4.67 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, 13,850  nautical miles could be covered. The two 500  PS SSW double electric machines GU 345/34 were supplied with power from 2 × 62 AFA type 44 MAL 740 W battery cells . A maximum speed of 7.3 knots could be achieved under water, a distance of 64 nautical miles could be covered at only 4 knots. 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. The submarine 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 49 men. The cost of building was 6,448,000 Reichsmarks .

The order for the boat was awarded to the Seebeck shipyard in Geestemünde on August 15, 1940 . The keel was laid on May 21, 1941, the launch on June 6, 1942, the commissioning under Lieutenant Günther Pfeffer finally took place on January 19, 1943.

U 170 was a training boat of the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin from January 19, 1943 to May 31, 1943 , and from June 1, 1943 to October 31, 1944 of the 10th U-Flotilla in Lorient . From November 1, 1944 to May 8, 1945, the boat was part of the 33rd U-Flotilla in Flensburg .

It completed four enemy voyages on which it was able to sink a ship with 4,663 GRT. The boat surrendered in Horten on May 8, 1945 and was sunk by British and Polish naval forces on November 29, 1945 during Operation Deadlight .

Commanders

Günther Pfeffer

Günther Pfeffer was born in Berlin on October 23, 1914 . On April 8, 1934, he joined the Reichsmarine as an officer candidate . After completing basic and board training as well as numerous courses as an ensign at sea , he passed the officers' main examination. After completing his submarine training, he became the first officer on watch on U 67 in January 1941 . From June 5 to July 2, 1941, he briefly took over command of U 67 as a substitute. Subsequently, from July 1941 to October 24, 1941, the commanders course took place with the 24th U-Flotilla in Memel and the 7th U-Flotilla in St. Nazaire and the building instruction for U 171 at the warship construction department U-Nord in Bremen . On October 25, 1941, he officially put U 171 into service. The new boat then went to the Baltic Sea for training . The first and only mission took place on May 30, 1942. On the march back from the Gulf of Mexico , on October 9, 1942, the boat ran into a mine in the Bay of Biscay and sank. Pepper was saved. In November 1942 there was another building instruction. In Bremen at the 6th warship building training department, this building instruction was given for U 170 . He put the boat into service on January 19, 1944. After further training in the Baltic Sea, he carried out three mission trips by July 1944 and then handed over the command to Hans-Gerold Hauber. In August 1944 he briefly took over command of U 548 as a substitute and from November 1944 switched to the higher command of the torpedo schools and the Wehrmacht command in Kiel as training manager . Günther Pfeffer died on April 25, 1966 at the age of 51 in Bonn . His last rank in the Navy was a lieutenant commander (March 1, 1942). He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class , the Iron Cross 1st Class and the 1939 Submarine War Badge .

Hans-Gerold Hauber

Hans-Gerold Hauber was born on July 8, 1913 in Stuttgart . In March 1934 he joined the Reichsmarine. After training, courses and various commands, he became an officer on watch in September 1940 in the 14th minesweeping flotilla, in which he remained until January 1941. From April 1941 he was a training officer in the inspection of the education system of the Navy. From November 1941 on he served as an officer on watch in the 6th outpost boat flotilla. After completing his submarine training, from March to November 1943, he became the first officer on watch on U 170 and from July 1944 its commander. On July 2, 1945, he went with U 170 in captivity from which he was released in May 1947th Hans-Gerold Hauber died on September 25, 1997 at the age of 83. His last rank was first lieutenant at sea in the reserve (April 1, 1943).

Use statistics

First patrol

The boat was running at 8:00 am from the 27 May 1943 Kiel from. On May 29, 1943, U 170 arrived in Kristiansand at 10.45 a.m. to replenish fuel . It left there again on May 30, 1943 at 4:20 a.m. for its first venture.

The march led across the North Sea , the North Atlantic , the Central Atlantic to the Azores . On June 25, 1943, U 170 supplied the boats U 732 , U 134 , U 415 and U 634 with fuel and provisions in the mid-Atlantic near the Canaries and on June 27, 1943 returned to France via the North Atlantic and the Biscay . After 42 days at sea and a distance of 3,842 nm above and 1,000 nm under water, U 170 arrived in Lorient on July 9, 1943 at 1 p.m. It had supplied four submarines on this venture.

Second patrol

The boat left Lorient on August 29, 1943 at 6:40 p.m. The march led across the Bay of Biscay, the North Atlantic, the Central Atlantic and the South Atlantic off the Brazilian coast and off Rio de Janeiro . On September 19, 1943, U 170 in the North Atlantic was supplied with 47.9 m³ of fuel by the U 460 supply boat and the march into the operational area continued.

  • On October 23, 1943, the Brazilian steamer Campos ( Lage ) with 4,663 GRT was sunk by two torpedoes in the South Atlantic . He drove in ballast and was on the way from Rio de Janeiro to the Rio Grande . There were 16 dead and 52 survivors.

On November 12, 1943, the boat began its march back across the Central Atlantic, North Atlantic and Biscay to France. After 116 days at sea and covered 13,812 nm above and 1,189 nm under water, U 170 entered Lorient on December 23, 1943. A ship with 4,663 GRT could be sunk on this venture.

Third patrol

The boat left Lorient on February 9, 1944 at 5:30 p.m. The march led across the Bay of Biscay, the North Atlantic, the Central Atlantic, the West Atlantic , the Caribbean , Florida , Bermuda and the Bahamas to the east coast of the USA . On March 21, 1944, U 170 reached its assigned area of ​​operations. After 29 days of unsuccessful searching, the boat began its return march across the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay on April 19, 1944. After 103 days at sea and a distance covered of 7,260 nm above and 2,280 nm under water, U 170 reached Lorient on May 27, 1944 at 8:55 a.m. It could not sink or damage any ships on this venture.

Fourth patrol

After the change of command in July 1944, the boat left Lorient on August 1, 1944 at 8:53 p.m. under its new commandant Oblt. ZSdR Hans-Gerold Hauber . It had been fitted with a snorkel there. After landing in Normandy, Lorient was blocked by enemy naval and air forces. The blockade was broken through initially with escort in overwater and later in slow diving.

However, due to a leaking stuffing box to the shaft tunnel in the stern area that was leaking below 100 meters , the boat had to abandon the march and return to Lorient on August 4, 1944 at 8:45 a.m. with another breach of the blockade.

After the repair and the renewed departure on August 4, 1944, with another breakthrough of the blockade and several air raids, the boat finally reached its operational area. The course led across the Bay of Biscay , the North Atlantic , the Central Atlantic off Freetown , Guinea and Gibraltar . On September 14, U 170 entered the area of ​​operations off the West African coast. After a short trip to Monrovia , the boat started its return march on October 1, 1944 after an unsuccessful operation. The reason was a precarious supply situation due to food spoiled in the tropical heat. The return march led from the West Atlantic via the North Atlantic and the North Sea to Norway .

On October 28, 1944, the boat located at 1 p.m. while diving ahead in rw. 8 ° fast screw noise. 13:32 was the periscope a destroyer spotted on at 13:35, an acoustic torpedo type T5 was shot. After 13 minutes and 04 seconds (or 6 minutes) running time, there was a strong explosion with the following sinking noises. The destroyer could no longer be seen in the periscope, which is why it was assumed that it would sink. However, it had been missed. Possibly the explosion was a final section detonator of the acoustic torpedo or a hit on a towed sound buoy ( Foxer ). At 2:10 p.m., several screw noises were heard again ahead. These probably belonged to a submarine fighter group around the escort aircraft carrier Guadalcanal, which had been given the task of intercepting the submarine after a corresponding radio direction finding. Two destroyers were sighted in the periscope at 3:43 p.m. and an aircraft carrier "similar to Illustrious " at 3:52 p.m. , but the boat could not come within shooting range due to its low underwater speed.

On October 30, 1944, the latitude of the southern tip of Ireland was reached. At 11:17 am, aft in rw. 230 ° strong screw noises were detected and at 1:28 p.m. a " giant convoy " with at least 20, probably 100 steamers was detected in the periscope. When the periscope was raised a little higher to get a better view of the convoy, it was probably located with radar . Two escort vehicles then approached at high speed. An acoustic torpedo was then shot down on a destroyer (or cruiser ) of the safety sides and dived deep. After 12 minutes and 40 seconds (or 6 minutes) running, a heavy explosion occurred over the boat, which was currently at a depth of 135 meters, either by a depth charge or by its own torpedo. The boat was badly damaged as a result and could only be intercepted at a depth of 270 meters after water ingress. Explosives and a long steel cable, which was puzzling at the time, were later found on the boat, possibly part of a sound buoy (Foxer) that was towed by Allied ships.

On November 30, 1944, U 170 entered Farsund at 17:36 , on December 1, 1944, it left again at 00:00 and moored in Kristiansand at 05:23 . The same day at 8:45 p.m. the boat left again and moored in Frederikshavn on December 2, 1944 at 8:30 p.m. , which the boat left again at 7:55 a.m. on the same day. The way led across the Baltic Sea to Flensburg . After 126 days at sea and a distance of 4,947 nm above and 5,710 nm under water, U 170 arrived in Flensburg on December 5, 1944 at 10:23 a.m. It could not sink or damage any ships on this venture.

Transfer trips

On April 28, 1945 was U 170 from Kiel made. The march led across the North Sea to Horten , where the boat moored on May 3, 1945. The boat surrendered on May 8th. It became British booty and ran out of Horten on May 27, 1945. It ran across the North Sea to Scapa Flow , where it moored in Scapa Flow on May 30, 1945. On the same day, the boat ran out again and moored on June 2, 1945 in Loch Ryan , where it was waiting to be transported to the sinking of Operation Deadlight .

Whereabouts

U 170 was on November 29, 1945 in the North Atlantic northeast of Ireland at position 55 ° 44 '  N , 7 ° 53'  W in naval grid square AM 5381 - during Operation Deadlight  - by the British destroyer HMS Onslaught and the Polish destroyer ORP Piorun sunk by artillery fire.

literature

  • Ulrich Lange: On patrol with U-170 and Knight's Cross holder Rudolf Mühlbauer. In memory of the unforgettable Hans-Gerold Hauber and Rudolf Mühlbauer and all of our brave submarine drivers. U. Lange, Radebeul 2002, ISBN 3-8311-4135-5 (describes in detail the enemy trips from May 28, 1944 to December 5, 1945 under commandant Hans-Gerold Hauber).
  • Clay Blair : Submarine War . Licensed edition for Bechtermünz Verlag by Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 2001, ISBN 3-8289-0512-9 .