German submarine U-179

German submarine U-179 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II.

History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-179
Ordered: 28 May 1940
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 1019
Laid down: 15 January 1941
Launched: 18 November 1941
Commissioned: 7 March 1942
Fate: Sunk, 8 October 1942[1]
General characteristics
Class and type: Type IXD2
Displacement:
  • 1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged
Length:
Beam:
  • 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height: 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught: 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:
Range:
  • 12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 55 to 63
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
Commanders:
  • K.Kapt. Ernst Sobe
  • 7 March - 8 October 1942
Operations: One patrol: 15 August - 8 October 1942
Victories: One ship sunk, 6,558 GRT

Ordered on 28 May 1940, the U-boat was laid down on 15 January 1941 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 1019, launched on 18 November, and commissioned on 7 March 1942, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Ernst Sobe.[2]

Design

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-179 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged.[3] The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 121 nautical miles (224 km; 139 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,750 nautical miles (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-179 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 24 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 150 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 with 2575 rounds as well as two 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft guns with 8100 rounds. The boat had a complement of fifty-five.[3]

1st patrol and loss

U-179 sailed from Kiel on 8 September 1942 into the Atlantic, passing north of Scotland and then turned southwest through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She headed south for the waters around Cape Town. She made her only kill on 8 October, sinking the unescorted SS City of Athens. All but one of the 99 crewmen survived. The survivors managed to recover a cat from the wreckage after the sinking.[4]

The boat was sunk by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Active west southwest of Cape Town in South Africa on 8 October 1942. Sixty-one men died, there were no survivors.

Summary of raiding history
Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[5]
8 October 1942 City of Athens  United Kingdom 6,558 Sunk

References
  1. Kemp 1999, p. 91.
  2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-179". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  3. Gröner 1991, pp. 74-75.
  4. Helgason, Guðmundur. "City of Athens". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  5. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-179". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 September 2014.

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). 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. 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.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-179". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 179". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2014.

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