German submarine U-124 (1940)

U-124 after a patrol
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-124
Ordered15 December 1937
BuilderDeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number956
Laid down11 August 1939
Launched9 March 1940
Commissioned11 June 1940
FateSunk by British warships west of Portugal, 2 April 1943 west of Oporto at 41°02′N 15°39′W / 41.033°N 15.650°W / 41.033; -15.650
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 00 412
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 11 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 19 August – 16 September 1940
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 5 October – 13 November 1940
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 16 December 1940 – 22 January 1941
  • 4th patrol:
  • 23 February – 1 May 1941
  • 5th patrol:
  • 10 July – 25 August 1941
  • 6th patrol:
  • 16 September – 1 October 1941
  • 7th patrol:
  • 30 October – 29 December 1941
  • 8th patrol:
  • 21 February – 10 April 1942
  • 9th patrol:
  • 4 May – 26 June 1942
  • 10th patrol:
  • 25 November 1942 – 13 February 1943
  • 11th patrol:
  • 27 March – 2 April 1943
Victories:
  • 46 merchant ships sunk
    (219,862 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (5,775 tons)
  • 4 merchant ships damaged
    (30,067 GRT)

German submarine U-124 (nickname "Edelweissboot"[1]) was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She operated in the Atlantic as part of the 2nd U-boat flotilla, both west of Scotland and east of the eastern US coast. She was also present off northern South America.

She was sunk with all hands west of Portugal on 2 April 1943.

  1. ^ Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat: The Dramatic True Story of Germany's First U-boat Attacks Along the American Coast in World War II, New York: Harper Perennial, 1991, p. 23