Unterseeboot 172

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U-172
Type		IXC
Commission Date		5 November 1941
Construction yard		AG Weser, Bremen
Commanders
5 November 1941	31 October 1943	Carl Emmermann
1 November 1943	13 December 1943	Hermann Hoffmann
Successes
Type of Ship Sunk	Number of Ships Sunk	Gross Registered Tonnage
Commercial Vessels	26	152,778
Military Vessels	-	-

Unterseeboot 172 or U-172 was a German World War II Type IXC long-range submarine commissioned on 5 November 1941. U-172 was assigned to 4. Unterseebootflottille (U-Boat Flotilla) for training, later on 1 May 1942 U-172 was assigned to 10. Unterseebootflottille, an operational long-range flotilla. U-172 completed six patrols, and was very successful sinking 26 ships totalling 152,778 Gross Register Tonnage.

U-172 was sunk on 13 December 1943, in the mid-Atlantic west of the Canary Islands by Avengers and Wildcats from the escort carrier USS Bogue, destroyers USS George E. Badger, USS Clemson, USS Osmond Ingram and USS Du Pont. The battle between U-172 and the small armada of ships and planes lasted 27-hours and as many as 200 depth charges were dropped by the destroyers. 13 of U-172’s crew were killed and 46 survived the attack.