U-161

Type

IXC

 
Ordered25 Sep 1939
Laid down23 Mar 1940 Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG, Bremen (werk 700)
Launched1 Mar 1941
Commissioned8 Jul 1941Kptlt. Hans-Ludwig Witt (Knights Cross)
Commanders
8 Jul 1941 - 30 Nov 1941  Kptlt. Hans-Ludwig Witt (Knights Cross)
1 Dec 1941 - 31 Dec 1941  Kptlt. Hans-Ludwig Witt (Knights Cross)
1 Jan 1942 - 27 Sep 1943  Kptlt. Albrecht Achilles (Knights Cross)
Career
6 patrols
8 Jul 1941-31 Dec 1941  4. Flottille (training)
1 Jan 1942-27 Sep 1943  2. Flottille (front boat)
Successes12 ships sunk for a total of 60,107 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,130 tons
5 ships damaged for a total of 35,672 GRT
1 warship damaged for a total of 5,450 tons
1 ship a total loss for a total of 3,305 GRT
Fate

Sunk 27 Sept, 1943 in the South Atlantic near Bahia, in position 12.30S, 35.35W, by depth charges from a US Mariner aircraft (USN VP-74/P-2). 53 dead (all hands lost).

See the 20 ships hit by U-161 - View the 6 war patrols

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-161 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


We have an emblem for this boat!

You can view it here. (The emblem on the left is not the emblem for this boat).



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2
Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.


There was another U-161 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 23 Mar 1918 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 29 Jun 1918. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 161 during WWI.