German submarine U-173
 U-505, a typical Type IXC boat
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-173 |
| Ordered | 23 December 1939 |
| Builder | |
| Yard number | 1013 |
| Laid down | 21 December 1940 |
| Launched | 11 August 1941 |
| Commissioned | 15 November 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk, 16 November 1942[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type IXC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Test depth | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Complement | 4 officers, 44 enlisted48 to 56 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 41 495 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | |
German submarine U-173 was a
.She was
U-173 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She was reassigned to the 2nd flotilla for operations on 1 July 1942.
Design
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).
Service history
First patrol
The boat departed Kiel on 15 June 1942, moved through the North Sea and negotiated the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered the Caribbean Sea. She entered Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 20 September.
Second patrol
The submarine attempted the disruption of the
A few days later and further north, U-173 torpedoed but did not sink USS Electra, on 15 November. This vessel also survived the war, not being broken up until 1974.
Loss
The boat was sunk by depth charges from the American destroyers Woolsey, Swanson, and Quick in the Atlantic Ocean off Casablanca (33°40′N 7°35′W / 33.667°N 7.583°W) on 16 November 1942. All fifty-seven hands were lost.[3]
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 November 1942 | USS Hambleton |  United States Navy
|
1,630 | Damaged |
| 11 November 1942 | USS Joseph Hewes | United States Navy
|
9,359 | Sunk |
| 11 November 1942 | USS Winooski | United States Navy
|
10,172 | Damaged |
| 15 November 1942 | USS Electra | United States Navy
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8,113 | Damaged |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 96.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
- ^ An Army at Dawn, Rick Atkinson, page 153
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-173". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
Bibliography
- 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.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
Further reading
- 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.
External links
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 173". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-173". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
