Unterseeboot 172
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-172 was a Type IXC U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
during World War II
.
, sunk on 10 October 1942, and the , on November 22, 1942. The only survivor of the attack on the Benlomond, Poon Lim
, survived 133 days in the South Atlantic in a Carley float
liferaft. Poon received a British Empire Medal
from King George VI
for this feat.
by Avenger
and Wildcat
aircraft from the escort carrier , and the destroyers , , and . The battle between U-172 and the small armada of ships and aircraft lasted for 27 hours and as many as 200 depth charges were dropped by the destroyers. Thirteen of U-172s crew were killed and 46 survived the sinking.
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Patrol history
Commissioned on 5 November 1941, U-172 was first assigned to 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, and on 1 May 1942 was assigned to 10th U-boat Flotilla, an operational long-range flotilla. U-172 completed six patrols, and was very successful sinking 26 ships totalling . Her victims included the British troopshipTroopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
, sunk on 10 October 1942, and the , on November 22, 1942. The only survivor of the attack on the Benlomond, Poon Lim
Poon Lim
Poon Lim or Lim Poon BEM was a Chinese sailor who survived 133 days alone in the South Atlantic.-Castaway:...
, survived 133 days in the South Atlantic in a Carley float
Carley float
The Carley float was a form of invertible liferaft designed by American inventor Horace Carley . Supplied mainly to warships, it saw widespread use in a number of navies during peacetime and both World Wars until superseded by more modern rigid or inflatable designs...
liferaft. Poon received a British Empire Medal
British Empire Medal
The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...
from King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
for this feat.
Sinking
U-172 was sunk on 13 December 1943, in the mid-Atlantic west of the Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
by Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
and Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
aircraft from the escort carrier , and the destroyers , , and . The battle between U-172 and the small armada of ships and aircraft lasted for 27 hours and as many as 200 depth charges were dropped by the destroyers. Thirteen of U-172s crew were killed and 46 survived the sinking.