U-165

Type

IXC

 
Ordered25 Sep 1939
Laid down 30 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
Career1 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.



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Buy this title at


amazon.com
See more sellers

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.