U-183

Type

IXC/40

 
Ordered15 Aug 1940
Laid down28 May 1941 AG Weser, Bremen (werk 1023)
Launched9 Jan 1942
Commissioned1 Apr 1942Korvkpt. Heinrich Schäfer
Commanders
1 Apr 1942 - 19 Nov 1943   Heinrich Schäfer
20 Nov 1943 - 23 Apr 1945  Kptlt. Fritz Schneewind
Career
6 patrols
1 Apr 1942-30 Sep 1942  4. Flottille (training)
1 Oct 1942-30 Sep 1944  2. Flottille (front boat)
1 Oct 1944-23 Apr 1945  33. Flottille (front boat)
Successes4 ships sunk for a total of 19,260 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 6,993 GRT
Fate

Sunk at 1300 hrs on 23 April, 1945 in the Java Sea, in position 04.50S, 112.52E, by a torpedo from the US submarine USS Besugo 54 dead and 1 survivor

See the 5 ships hit by U-183 - View the 6 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-183 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Luchs (4 Oct 1942 - 6 Oct 1942)
   Panther (7 Oct 1942 - 11 Oct 1942)
   Hartherz (3 Feb 1943 - 7 Feb 1943)

General notes on this boat

* Fritz Schneewind was born on 10 April, 1917 in Padang/Sumatra. Thus, his life ended in the same region it began.

U-183 was one of the Monsun boats that patrolled in the Far East.

Men lost from the boat

13 May 1944
One man was killed in an accident working in a diving cell while preparing for its next patrol in the Far East. The boat left for the patrol from Penang on 17 May. [Obermaschinenmaat Erich Adelsheimer]

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -



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.