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. Unterseebootsflottille (U-Boat Flotilla) for training, later on 1 May 1942 U-172 was assigned to 10. Unterseebootsflottille, 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 George E. Badger, Clemson, Osmond Ingram and 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 sinking.

[edit] References

• Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.