U-165

Type

IXC

 
Ordered25 Sep 1939
Laid down30 Aug 1940 Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG, Bremen (werk 704)
Launched15 Aug 1941
Commissioned3 Feb 1942Korvkpt. Eberhard Hoffmann
Commanders
3 Feb 1942 - 27 Sep 1942  FrgKpt. Eberhard Hoffmann
Career
1 patrol
3 Feb 1942-31 Aug 1942  4. Flottille (training)
1 Sep 1942-27 Sep 1942  10. Flottille (front boat)
Successes2 ships sunk for a total of 8,396 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk for a total of 358 GRT
3 ships damaged for a total of 14,499 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged for a total of 7,252 GRT
Fate

Sunk 27 Sept, 1942 in the Bay of Biscay west of Lorient, in position 47.00N, 05.30W by depth charges from Wellington aircraft (Sqdn 311/Q RAF) (Czech). 51 dead (all hands lost).

See the 7 ships hit by U-165 - View the 1 war patrol

Previously recorded fate
(Last revised by Axel Niestlé & Eric Zimmerman during February 2003. More on revised fates.)

Many older explanations of its loss exist including air-laid mines, allied submarines and so on. But the explanation here by Niestlé has to be the most convincing.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-165 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.
On The Triangle Run. Lamb, James B., 2000.
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-165 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 21 Jun 1918 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 6 Nov 1918. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 165 during WWI.