German submarine U-177
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-177 was a Type IXD2 U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The submarine was laid down on 25 November 1940 at the AG Weser
AG Weser
Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...
yard at Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, launched on 1 October 1941, and commissioned on 14 March 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Schulze. After a period of training with 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
, on 1 October 1942 U-177 was transferred to 10th U-boat Flotilla based at Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
for front-line service, then to 12th U-boat Flotilla based at Bordeaux
BETASOM
BETASOM BETASOM BETASOM (an Italian language acronym of Bordeaux Sommergibile. was a submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Regia Marina Italiana during World War II....
on 1 December 1942.
1st patrol
Under the command of Kptlt. Robert GysaeRobert Gysae
Robert Gysae was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded and , sinking twenty-five ships on eight patrols, for a total of tons of Allied shipping, to become the fifteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II.-Career:Gysae joined the Reichsmarine in 1931...
U-177 left Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
on 17 September 1942 and sailed north around the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. On 23 September the U-boat was bombed by a twin-engined aircraft south-east of Iceland, but crash-dived and sustained no damage. She then headed south to the waters off South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
and Mozambique. There she sank eight ships totalling 49,371 tons and damaged another of 2,588 tons:
- She had her first success on 2 November, sinking the unescorted 4,538 ton Greek merchant ship Aegeus off Cape ColumbineCape ColumbineCape Columbine is well known for its lighthouse, the last manned lighthouse built on the South African coast. . The Cape Columbine Lighthouse was commissioned on October 1, 1936...
. There were no survivors. - On 9 November the U-boat attacked and damaged the unescorted 2,588 ton British oil tankerOil tankerAn oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
Cerion south of Port Elizabeth with her 37 mm and 20 mm AA guns, after her deck gunDeck gunA deck gun is a type of artillery cannon mounted on the deck of a ship or submarine.The deck gun was used as a defensive weapon against smaller boats or ships and in certain cases where torpedo use was limited. Typically a crew of three; gunner, loader, and layer, operated the gun, while others...
malfunctioned, and several attacks with torpedoes failed.
- On 19 November, the 7,006 ton British tanker Scottish Chief, loaded with 13,000 tons of fuel oil, was torpedoed by U-177 about 200 miles east-southeast of DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. The ship exploded and sank in flames, with only 12 of the crew of 48 surviving.
- On 20 November the unescorted 7,191 ton Liberty shipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
Pierce Butler was hit by two torpedoes from U-177. The ship's armed guardsUnited States Navy Armed GuardUnited States Navy Armed Guard units were established during World War I in an attempt to provide defensive firepower to merchant ships in convoy or merchant ships traveling alone...
opened fire with her five and three-inch guns, while the engines were secured, and then the eight officers, 33 crewmen and 21 armed guards abandoned ship in four lifeboats. Within half an hour the ship sank. The Pierce Butler third mate was questioned by officers from U-177 who offered to send a distress signal if none had been sent. It had, and the crew were picked up about 20 hours later by .
- On 28 November she sank the unescorted 6,796 ton British troop transport Nova Scotia southeast of Lourenço MarquesMaputoMaputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
. The ship was carrying mail, passengers, and 780 Italian civilian internees from Aden to Durban. Hit by three torpedoes the ship sank within ten minutes. The U-boat picked up two survivors to identify the ship, who turned out to be Italian merchant sailors. Wary of another Laconia incidentLaconia incidentThe Laconia incident was an abortive naval rescue attempt in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. On 12 September 1942, , carrying some 80 civilians, 268 British Army soldiers, about 1,800 Italian prisoners of war, and 160 Polish soldiers , was struck and sunk by a torpedo from Kriegsmarine...
, Gysae radioed the BdUBefehlshaber der U-BooteBefehlshaber der U-Boote was the title of the supreme commander of the Kriegsmarines U-boat Arm during World War II. The term also referred to the Command HQ of the U-boat arm itself....
, and was ordered to continue his patrol while the BdU notified the Portuguese authorities, who sent the frigate Afonso de Albuquerque. The ship rescued only 194 survivors. From the 1,052 aboard, 858 were lost, including 650 Italians.
- On 30 November she sank the unescorted 10,799 ton British troop transport Llandaff Castle with two torpedoes south-east of Lourenço Marques. The former Union-Castle LineUnion-Castle LineThe Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
passenger shipPassenger shipA passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
had on board 150 passengers, including six Soviet diplomats with their wives and children and 70 military officers with their families. Three crew members were lost. The survivors were later rescued by .
- On 7 December U-177 torpedoed the unescorted 3,548 ton Greek merchant ship Saronikos off Mozambique, which broke in half and sank within two minutes. The Germans questioned the only two survivors from the crew of 38, and provided them with bandages and provisions.
- U-177 torpedoed the unescorted 6,408 ton British merchant ship Empire Gull on 12 December in the Mozambique ChannelMozambique ChannelThe Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...
, allowing the crew to abandon ship before opening fire with her deck gunDeck gunA deck gun is a type of artillery cannon mounted on the deck of a ship or submarine.The deck gun was used as a defensive weapon against smaller boats or ships and in certain cases where torpedo use was limited. Typically a crew of three; gunner, loader, and layer, operated the gun, while others...
, firing 70 incendiary and 100 high-explosive rounds, and scoring about 140 hits, which finally caused the ship to sink. Two crew members were lost in the attack, and the master and 43 crewmen were later rescued up by and .
- On 14 December the U-boat sank the 3,085 ton Dutch merchant ship Sawahloento with her last torpedo, sinking the ship in seven minutes. The crew of 72 abandoned ship in four lifeboats, three of which capsized when the boiler exploded, drowning most of the occupants. The 19 survivors in the last lifeboat were questioned, and then set sail towards the coast of South Africa, arriving two days later.
U-177 then headed back home, arriving at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
on 22 January 1943 after a voyage of 128 days.
2nd patrol
U-177 left her base at BordeauxBETASOM
BETASOM BETASOM BETASOM (an Italian language acronym of Bordeaux Sommergibile. was a submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Regia Marina Italiana during World War II....
on 1 April 1943 for her second patrol around the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
where she sank six ships totalling 38,017 tons.
- On 28 May U-177 attacked Convoy CD-20 with a salvo of four torpedoes and hit the 6,679 ton American merchant ship Agwimonte and the 7,886 ton Norwegian tankerTank shipA tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Storaas. Both ships were abandoned by their crews and were sunk with further torpedoes from U-177.
- On 6 July the unescorted 7,129 ton Canadian merchant ship Jasper Park was hit by two torpedoes from U-177 south-south-west of Cap Sainte Marie, the extreme southern point of MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. The U-boat fired another torpedo which either missed or was a dudDudA dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate, respectively, on time or on command.Duds are still dangerous and have to be deactivated and disposed of carefully. Poorly designed devices A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate,...
, so she surfaced to sink the vessel with gunfire, but as she did so the ship sank.
- On 10 July 1943 U-177 struck the unescorted 7,176 ton American Liberty ship Alice F. Palmer with a single torpedo in the stern, blowing off the propeller and rudder, flooding the engine room, and breaking the back of the ship. The crew of 68 abandoned ship in four lifeboats, and after questioning them the U-177 shelled the ship, firing 14 incendiary and 85 high-explosive rounds. The burning ship slowly sank. The four lifeboats eventually sailed to Madagascar.
- The 4,952 ton British collierCollier (ship type)Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
Cornish City was torpedoed and sunk on 29 July, south-east of Madagascar. The ship sank within a minute with the loss of 37 of her crew of 43. The survivors were questioned by the Germans and later picked up by .
- Finally, on 5 August, east of Madagascar, the U-boat sank the unescorted 4,195 ton Greek merchant ship Efthalia Mari, after spotting her using a Fa 330 BachstelzeFocke Achgelis Fa 330The Focke-Achgelis FA 330 Bachstelze was a type of rotary-wing kite, known as a gyroglider or rotor kite. They were towed behind German U-boats during World War II to allow a lookout to see farther.- Development :...
rotor kiteRotor kiteA rotor kite or gyroglider is an unpowered, rotary-wing aircraft. Like an autogyro or helicopter, it relies on lift created by one or more sets of rotors in order to fly...
. Hit by two torpedoes the ship sank in eight minutes. U-177 was one of only a few U-boats equipped with the aerial observation platform, and the only one to have successfully used it.
The U-177 arrived back at Bordeaux on 1 October 1943 after 184 days at sea.
3rd patrol
Under the command on Korvettenkapitän Heinz Buchholz, U-177 sailed from La Pallice on 2 January 1944 and once again headed south. On the 36th day of the patrol, on 6 February, she was sunk in the Atlantic west of Ascension IslandAscension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
, in position 10°35′S 23°15′W, by depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s dropped by a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
aircraft from US Navy Squadron VB-107. There were 50 men lost, and only 15 survivors, who were picked up by .
External links
See also
- List of German U-boats
- List of successful U-boat commanders