German submarine U-123 (1940)

U-123 at Lorient in February 1942
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-123
Ordered15 December 1937
BuilderDeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number955
Laid down15 April 1939
Launched2 March 1940
Commissioned30 May 1940
Decommissioned17 June 1944
FateScuttled at Lorient on 19 August 1944. Raised and later became the French submarine Blaison
France
NameBlaison
Acquired1945
Decommissioned18 August 1959
General characteristics
Class and typeType IXB submarine
Displacement
  • 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
  • 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) surfaced
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range
  • 12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi)at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth230 m (750 ft)
Complement4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
Identification codes: M 08 800
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 12 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 21 September – 23 October 1940
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 14 – 28 November 1940
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 14 January – 28 February 1941
  • 4th patrol:
  • a. 10 April – 11 May 1941
  • b. 8 – 12 June 1941
  • 5th patrol:
  • 15 June – 23 August 1941
  • 6th patrol:
  • 14 October – 22 November 1941
  • 7th patrol:
  • 23 December 1941 – 9 February 1942
  • 8th patrol:
  • a. 2 March – 2 May 1942
  • b. 16 – 24 May 1942
  • c. 25 – 26 May 1942
  • d. 26 – 27 May 1942
  • e. 28 – 29 May 1942
  • f. 3 – 5 June 1942
  • 9th patrol:
  • 5 December 1942 – 6 February 1943
  • 10th patrol:
  • a. 13 March – 8 June 1943
  • b. 1 – 5 August 1943
  • 11th patrol:
  • a. 16 August 1943 – 7 November 1943
  • b. 29 – 30 December 1943
  • 12th patrol:
  • 9 January – 24 April 1944
Victories:
  • 43 merchant ships sunk
    (220,158 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (683 tons)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (3,209 GRT)
  • 5 merchant ships damaged
    (39,584 GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship damaged
    (13,984 GRT)

German submarine U-123 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. After that conflict, she became the French submarine Blaison (Q165)[1] until she was decommissioned on 18 August 1959.

  1. ^ Kemp 1997, p. 197.