U 181

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U 181
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Type : IX D2
Field Post Number : 45435
Shipyard: Deutsche Schiffs- und Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft
(DeSchiMAG AG Weser ), Bremen
Construction contract: August 15, 1940
Build number: 1021
Keel laying: March 15, 1941
Launch: December 30, 1941
Commissioning: May 9, 1942
Commanders:
Calls: 4 patrols
Sinkings:

27 ships (138,779 GRT)

Whereabouts: Sunk on February 16, 1946 after the end of the war

U 181 was a German submarine of the type IX D2 , which was used in World War II .

It was built by DeSchiMAG (formerly AG Weser ), Bremen, and handed over to the Navy on May 9, 1942 .

Until September 30, 1942, the boat was stationed in Stettin for training the crew of the 4th submarine flotilla . After that, U 181 was temporarily subordinate to the 10th submarine flotilla in Lorient and from November 1, 1942 the 12th submarine flotilla in Bordeaux . Under Lüth's command it had two coats of arms on the tower. On the one hand the image of the game color spades and on the other hand a black swastika in a white circle. The sponsored city of U 181 was Posen .

U 181 undertook a total of four enemy voyages on which it was able to sink 27 ships with a total of 138,769 GRT . Of these, 22 ships with 103,712 GRT were under the command of Kkpt. Wolfgang Lüth sunk.

Use statistics

September 12, 1942 to January 18, 1943

  • September 12, 1942: Departure from Kiel under Lieutenant Wolfgang Lüth
  • November 3, 1942: sinking of the American East Indian (8,159 GRT) ( location )
  • November 8, 1942: sinking of the Plaudit ( Panama 5,060 GRT) ( location )
  • November 10, 1942: sinking of the KG Meldahl ( Norway 3,799 GRT) ( location )
  • November 13, 1942: sinking of the American Excello (4,969 GRT) ( location )
  • November 19, 1942: sinking of the Gunda ( Norway 2,241 GRT) ( Lage )
  • 20 November 1942: sinking of the Corinthiakos ( Greece 3,562 GRT) ( location )
  • November 22, 1942: sinking of the American Alcoa Pathfinder (6,797 GRT) ( location )
  • November 24, 1942: sinking of the British Dorington Court (5,281 GRT) ( location )
  • November 24, 1942: sinking of Mount Helmos ( Greece 6,481 GRT) ( location )
  • November 28, 1942: sinking of the Evanthia ( Greece 3,551 GRT) ( location )
  • November 30, 1942: sinking of the Cleanthis ( Greece 4,153 GRT)
  • December 2, 1942: Amarylis sinking ( Panama 4,328 GRT) ( location )
  • January 18th: Arrival in Bordeaux

March 23, 1943 to October 14, 1943

The area of ​​operations for the second patrol of U 181 , which the boat began on March 23 from Bordeaux, was the southern Atlantic, as well as the sea area around South Africa and the Indian Ocean. As a result of the sinkings on this patrol, Commander Lüth qualified for the second highest war award that the German Reich granted a soldier: the oak leaves with swords and diamonds for the knight's cross. With effect from August 9th, Wolfgang Lüth was the first member of the Navy to receive this award.

  • April 11, 1943: Sinking of the British Empire Whimbrel (5,983 GRT) ( location )
  • May 11, 1943: sinking of the British Tinhow (5,232 GRT) ( location )
  • May 27, 1943: sinking of the Sicilia ( Sweden 1,633 GRT) ( Lage )
  • 7 June 1943: sinking of the British Harrier (193 GRT) ( location )
  • July 2, 1943: sinking of the British Hoihow (2,798 GRT) ( location )
  • July 15, 1943: sinking of the British Empire Lake (2,852 GRT) ( location )
  • July 16, 1943: Sinking of the British Fort Franklin (7,135 GRT) ( location )
  • 4th August 1943: sinking of the British Dalfram (4,558 GRT) ( location )
  • August 7, 1943: sinking of the British Umvuma (4,419 GRT) ( location )
  • August 12, 1943: Sinking of the British Clan MacArthur (10,528 GRT, part of the DN 55 convoy) ( Lage )
  • October 18, 1943: Arrival in Bordeaux

March 16, 1944 to August 8, 1944

  • March 16, 1944: departure from Bordeaux under Fkpt. Kurt Freiwald
  • May 1, 1944: sinking of the British Janeta (5,312 GRT) ( location )
  • June 19, 1944: sinking of the Garoet ( Netherlands 7,118 GRT) ( location )
  • July 15, 1944: sinking of the British Tanda (7,174 GRT) ( location )
  • 19 July 1944: sinking of the British King Frederick (5,265 GRT) ( location )
  • August 8, 1944: Arrival in Penang

August 30, 1944 to August 31, 1944

September 23, 1944 to September 25, 1944

October 19, 1944 to January 5, 1945

January 14, 1945 to January 16, 1945

May 6, 1945 to July 15, 1945

  • May 6, 1945: Takeover of U 181 by the Japanese
  • July 15, 1945: Renaming to the Japanese boat I 501
  • August 1945: Takeover by the British after the surrender of Japan
  • February 16, 1946: Sunk by the British frigates HMS Loch Glendhu and HMS Loch Lomond

More about the stay in Southeast Asia

I-501 (formerly U-181) and I-502 (formerly U-862) lie next to the Japanese cruiser Myōkō in Singapore after the surrender in 1946 .

By the commander Kurt Freiwald a machine damage was reported in 1944 that more patrols excluded. The reason is said to have been the lubricating oil supplied by the Japanese, which was only partially suitable for the boat's machines. This caused piston and bearing damage in the starboard main diesel and in an auxiliary diesel, which led to the failure of both engines.

The attempt to get through to the home waters with the boat that was no longer fully operational was viewed by Freiwald as hopeless. Through members of the crew it is known today that he already considered the war to be lost back then and did not want to put his crew in unnecessary danger.

See also

swell