German submarine U-162 (1941)

	U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-162
Ordered	25 September 1939
Builder	DeSchiMAG, Bremen
Yard number	701
Laid down	19 April 1940
Launched	1 March 1941
Commissioned	9 September 1941
Fate	Sunk on 3 September 1942 in the mid-Atlantic north-east of Trinidad, by depth charges from British warships; two dead and 49 survivors.
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC submarine
Displacement	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced; 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels); 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced; 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged;
Range	13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla; 9 September 1941 – 31 January 1942; 2nd U-boat Flotilla; 1 February – 3 September 1942;
Identification codes:	M 01 524
Commanders:	F.Kapt. Jürgen Wattenberg; 9 September 1941 – 3 September 1942[1];
Operations:	3 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 7 February – 18 March 1942 ; 2nd patrol:; 7 April – 8 June 1942; 3rd patrol:; 7 July – 3 September 1942;
Victories:	14 merchant ships sunk ; (82,027 GRT)

German submarine U-162 was a

Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II

.

She was ordered on 25 September 1939 and was

Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, at Seebeck Yard in Bremerhaven, Germany,^[2] as yard number 701.^[1] She was launched on 1 March 1941 and commissioned under the command of Korvettenkapitän Jürgen Wattenberg on 9 September of that year.^[1]

During three war patrols, U-162 sank 14 vessels. However, on 3 September 1942, three British destroyers hunted U-162 down and sank her. Of a crew of fifty-one, only two died. The remainder were taken prisoner and sent to camps in the United States, where they were to remain for the rest of the war.^[3]

Design

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).^[4]

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).

2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.^[4]

Service history

First patrol

Following training exercises with the

North Atlantic, where she sank her first vessel, White Crest, on 24 February 1942.^[5]

Second patrol

U-162 returned to sea on 7 April 1942. For this patrol, she cruised south into the Caribbean Sea and the northern coast of South America. During her 63 days at sea, U-162 sank nine ships: Athelempress, Parnahyba, Eastern Sword, Florence M. Douglas,^[6] Frank Seamans, Mont Louis, Esso Houston, British Colony and Beth. Following these victories, U-162 returned to her new home port of Lorient on 8 June 1942.^[7]

Third patrol and sinking

U-162's third and final sortie began on 7 July 1942, when she left Lorient for the last time. Much like her second foray, U-162 spent her third patrol in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of South America. From 19 to 30 August, she sank four more vessels: West Celina, Moena, Thelma and Star of Oregon.^[8] Nonetheless, just four days after sinking Star of Oregon, she was detected northeast of Trinidad. Three British destroyers, HMS Vimy, Pathfinder and Quentin, attacked and sank U-162 with depth charges. Two crewmen were killed, 49 others survived.^[1]

Following the sinking of U-162, the surviving crew members were picked up by the three destroyers and sent to the United States where they gave US interrogators information about U-162's history, including where and when she was laid down, how many ships she sank and details about her home port and the design and layout of submarines that were in her class.^[3]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[3]^[9]
24 February 1942	White Crest	United Kingdom	4,365	Sunk
30 April 1942	Athelempress	United Kingdom	8,941	Sunk
1 May 1942	Parnahyba	Brazil	6,692	Sunk
4 May 1942	Eastern Sword	United States	3,785	Sunk
4 May 1942	Florence M. Douglas	United Kingdom	119	Sunk
7 May 1942	Frank Seamans	Norway	4,271	Sunk
9 May 1942	Mont Louis	Canada	1,905	Sunk
13 May 1942	Esso Houston	United States	7,699	Sunk
14 May 1942	British Colony	United Kingdom	6,917	Sunk
18 May 1942	Beth	Norway	6,852	Sunk
19 August 1942	West Celina	United States	5,722	Sunk
24 August 1942	Moena	Netherlands	9,286	Sunk
26 August 1942	Thelma	Norway	8,297	Sunk
30 August 1942	Star of Oregon	United States	7,176	Sunk

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-162". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG, Bremen". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Helgason, Guðmundur. "Jürgen Wattenberg". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (first patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
^ "The Sinking of the Florence M. Douglas and the story of Douglas the Barbadian who joined the German Navy in WW2". www.bajanthings.com. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (second patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (third patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-162". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 February 2010.

Bibliography

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

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-162". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 162". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2015.

12°21′N 59°29′W / 12.350°N 59.483°W / 12.350; -59.483

[U-162-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXC boat U-162". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 21 February 2010.

[Yard-2] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG, Bremen". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 14 March 2010.

[Archive2-3] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Jürgen Wattenberg". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 February 2010.

[FOOTNOTEGröner199168-4] Gröner 1991, p. 68.

[5] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (first patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.

[6] "The Sinking of the Florence M. Douglas and the story of Douglas the Barbadian who joined the German Navy in WW2". www.bajanthings.com. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2021.

[7] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (second patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.

[8] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-162 (third patrol)". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 27 February 2010.

[9] Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-162". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 February 2010.

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German Type IXC submarine
U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524
Preceded by: Type IXB Followed by: Type IXC/40
List of U-boats of Germany

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1942
Shipwrecks	1 Sep: U-756 2 Sep: U-222 3 Sep: U-162, U-705 4 Sep: Kashino, Kaimei Maru 5 Sep: USS Gregory, USS Little 6 Sep: Anshun 7 Sep: HMCS Raccoon 8 Sep: USS YP-74 9 Sep: USCGC Muskeget, YP-346 10 Sep: American Leader, Arno 11 Sep: HMCS Charlottetown, Empire Dawn, Yayoi 12 Sep: Hektoria, RMS Laconia, U-88 13 Sep: Empire Beaumont, Oliver Ellsworth, Oregonian, Stalingrad 14 Sep: Atheltemplar, HMS Coventry, Mary Luckenbach, HMCS Ottawa, HMS Sikh, U-589 15 Sep: U-261, USS Wasp 16 Sep: HMS Talisman, U-457 17 Sep: Mae 19 Sep: USS O'Brien 20 Sep: Empire Hartebeeste 21 Sep: U-446 22 Sep: RFA Gray Ranger 23 Sep: HMAS Siesta 24 Sep: Antinous 25 Sep: Empire Bell, HMS Somali, U-253, HMAS Voyager 26 Sep: I-33, HMS Veteran 27 Sep: Stephen Hopkins, Stier, U-165 30 Sep: Empire Avocet
Other incidents	2 Sep: U-626 3 Sep: USS Wakefield 8 Sep: USS Wakefield 10 Sep: Kuroshio Maru 13 Sep: USS S-31 15 Sep: USS O'Brien 20 Sep: HMS Somali 23 Sep: HMAS Voyager 28 Sep: USS Snapper
1941 1942 1943 August 1942 October 1942