German submarine U-167 (1942)

Summary

German submarine U-167 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 12 March 1941 by the Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG in Bremen as yard number 706. She was launched on 5 March 1942 and commissioned on 4 July with Kapitänleutnant Kurt Neubert in command.

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-167
Ordered15 August 1940
BuilderDeSchiMAG, Bremen
Yard number706
Laid down12 March 1941
Launched5 March 1942[1]
Commissioned4 July 1942[1]
FateScuttled, 6 April 1943[2]
General characteristics
Class and typeType IXC/40 submarine
Displacement
  • 1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a
  • 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) surfaced
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range
  • 13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 63 nmi (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth230 m (750 ft)
Complement4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament
Service record[1]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 05 459
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Kurt Neubert
  • 4 July 1942 – 8 February 1943
  • Lt.z.S. Günter Zahnow
  • 8 – 16 January 1943
  • K.Kapt. Kurt Sturm
  • 5 February – 6 April 1943
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 21 December 1942 – 16 January 1943
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 27 February – 6 April 1943
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (5,449 GRT)
  • 1 merchant ship damaged
    (7,200 GRT)

The U-boat's service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 December 1942 for operations. She was a member of three wolfpacks. She sank one ship of 5,449 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged another of 7,200 GRT.

She was scuttled on 6 April 1943.

Design edit

German Type IXC/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXCs. U-167 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged.[3] The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-167 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[3]

Service history edit

The boat moved from Kiel in Germany to Bergen in Norway in December 1942.

First patrol edit

The submarine's first patrol took her from Bergen on 21 December 1942, across the North Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. U-167 lost a man overboard in mid-Atlantic on 8 January 1943. She arrived in Lorient in occupied France, on the 16th.

Second patrol and loss edit

On her second patrol on 17 March 1943, she attacked and damaged Molly Pitcher 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) west of Lisbon. She then sailed round the Azores before approaching the northwest African coast. She sank the Lagosian from convoy RS-3 southeast of the Canary Islands on the 28th.

U-167 was scuttled near the Canary Islands following an attack by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 233 Squadron RAF on 6 April 1943.

Post-war edit

The boat was raised in 1951 and transferred to Spain. Before being broken up, she was used for filming.

Summary of raiding history edit

Date Ship Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[4]
17 March 1943 Molly Pitcher   United States 7,200 Damaged
28 March 1943 Lagosian   United Kingdom 5,449 Sunk

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-167 – German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  2. ^ Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. p. 109. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-167". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net.

Bibliography edit

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links edit

  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC/40 boat U-167". German U-boats of WWII – uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 167". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 – u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.

6°12′S 111°17′E / 06.20°S 111.28°E / -06.20; 111.28