U 171

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U 171
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Type : IX C
Field Post Number : M-29 121
Shipyard: AG Weser , Bremen
Construction contract: December 23, 1939
Build number: 1011
Keel laying: December 1, 1940
Launch: July 22, 1941
Commissioning: October 25, 1941
Commanders:

October 25, 1941 - October 9, 1942:
Lieutenant Captain Günther Pfeffer

Calls: 1 company
Sinkings:

3 ships (17,641 GRT)

Whereabouts: Sunk off Lorient on October 9, 1942

U 171 was a German submarine from the Type IX C , which in World War II by the German navy was used.

Technology and history

U 171 was a submersible for oceanic use. It was a two-hull type submarine and had a displacement of 1,120 t above and 1,232 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 2,200 PS 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 2,625 rounds, 1 × 2-cm anti-aircraft gun with 4,250 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 AG Weser in Bremen on December 23, 1939 . The keel was laid on December 1, 1940, the launch on July 22, 1941, the commissioning under Lieutenant Günther Pfeffer finally took place on October 25, 1941.

U 171 belonged from October 25, 1941 to June 30, 1942 as a training boat of the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin , and from July 1, 1942 to its sinking on October 9, 1942 as a front boat of the 10th U-Flotilla in Lorient on.

It completed a patrol on which three ships with 17,641 GRT could be sunk. U 171 was sunk on October 9, 1942 off Lorient by a mine hit. There were 22 dead and 30 survivors.

Commanders

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First venture

The boat ran at 7.00 am on 30 May 1942 from Kiel made. The boat entered Kristiansand on June 18, 1942 for fuel replenishment and started its first venture from there on June 19, 1942.

The trip went over the North Atlantic and the Central Atlantic into the Gulf of Mexico . On July 5, 1942, U 171 was supplied with 63 m³ of fuel and provisions in the North Atlantic by the German supply boat U 460 . After marching over the Windward Passage , the south coast of Jamaica and the Gulf of Yucatan , the boat entered the area of ​​operation, the Gulf of Mexico, on July 23, 1942.

  • On August 13, 1942, the US tanker RM Parker Jr. ( Lage ) with 6,779 GRT was sunk. He was ballasted and on his way from Baltimore to Port Arthur . There were no losses during the sinking, 44 crew members survived.
  • On September 4, 1942, the Mexican tanker Amatlan ( Lage ) with 6,511 GRT was sunk with a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo on board and was en route from Havana via Galveston to Tampico. 10 men were killed, 24 survived the attack.

On September 5, 1942, the U 171 marched back. On the march back, the boat was once again supplied with 23.5 m³ of fuel and provisions by the German supply boat U 461 , before it ran into a British mine on October 9, 1942 at 1.40 p.m. off Lorient and sank. 22 men were killed. 30 survivors were rescued by German outpost boats.

Whereabouts

U 171 sank off Lorient on October 9, 1942, at position 47 ° 39 ′ 5 ″  N , 3 ° 34 ′ 8 ″  W in marine grid reference BF 6173, through a British mine. There were 22 dead and 30 survivors.

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