Submarine U-175

U-175

Country	Germany
Ship Class	Type IX-class Submarine
Builder	Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG
Slip/Drydock Number	V
Ordered	23 Dec 1939
Laid Down	30 Jan 1941
Launched	2 Sep 1941
Commissioned	5 Dec 1941
Sunk	17 Apr 1943
Displacement	1,232 tons standard; 1,540 tons submerged
Length	252 feet
Beam	22 feet
Draft	15 feet
Power Output	4,400 shaft horsepower
Speed	18 knots
Range	13,450nm at 10 knots
Crew	56
Armament	6 torpedo tubes with 22 torpedoes, 1 Utof 105/45 deck gun
Surfaced Displacement	1120 tons
Height	31 ft
Submerged Power Output	1000 SHP
Submerged Speed	7.3 knots
Submerged Range	63nm at 4 knots
Maximum Depth	750 ft

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe submarine U-175 was commissioned in late 1941 with Lieutenant (Kapitänleutnant) Heinrich Bruns. She embarked on three patrols during the war, during which she sank 10 Allied ships. On 17 Apr 1943, she came across Allied Convoy HX-233 in the Atlantic southwest of Ireland at position 47.53N, 22.04W. She attempted a submerged daylight attack. She already had her sights locked on the American tanker G. Harrison Smith when the crew of United States Coast Guard cutter Spencer spotted and attacked her with depth charges. As U-175 was forced to surface, she was attacked by gunfire from surrounding ships. "The [depth charges] were bad", said a rescued survivor of U-175. "Everything was shaking.... We came up and saw you in the periscope, but you saw us and we knew it was all over." She was boarded by Spencer's crew led by Lieutenant Ross P. Bullard, but the German sailors had already opened up the dive valves during the normal abandonment procedures, therefore her capture was deemed impossible. 41 German sailors out of the crew of 54 survived the attack.

ww2dbaseSources: United States Coast Guard, Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Oct 2006

Submarine U-175 Interactive Map

Photographs

A boarding party shoves off from United States Coast Guard cutter Spencer to board the U-175 after the sub was forced to the surface by depth charges, North Atlantic, 500 nautical miles WSW of Ireland, 17 Apr 1943.

Boarding party from Coast Guard cutter Spencer approaching the U-175 after the sub was forced to the surface by depth charges, North Atlantic, 500 nautical miles WSW of Ireland, 17 Apr 1943. Minutes later, U-175 sank.

Crew of USS Spencer cared for rescued U-175 sailors, North Atlantic, 500 nautical miles WSW of Ireland, 17 Apr 1943, photo 1 of 2

See all 11 photographs of Submarine U-175

U-175 Operational Timeline

5 Dec 1941

U-175 was commissioned into service.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Swashbuckler says:
17 Apr 2016 11:38:28 AM

Lt. Bullard continued his Coast Guard career after the war, retiring in 1975 as a Rear Admiral.

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U-175