German submarine U-123 (1940)

	U-123 at Lorient in February 1942
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-123
Ordered	15 December 1937
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	955
Laid down	15 April 1939
Launched	2 March 1940
Commissioned	30 May 1940
Decommissioned	17 June 1944
Fate	Scuttled at Lorient on 19 August 1944. Raised and later became the French submarine Blaison
France
Name	Blaison
Acquired	1945
Decommissioned	18 August 1959
General characteristics
Class & type	Type IXB submarine
Displacement	1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) surfaced; 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) submerged;
Length	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a; 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a; 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Draught	4.70 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	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors double-acting electric motors, 1,000 PS (990 shp; 740 kW);
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 depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern); 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds); 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun; 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns;
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla; 30 May 1940 – 1 August 1944;
Identification codes:	M 08 800
Commanders:	Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle; 30 May 1940 – 19 May 1941; Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen; 19 May 1941 – 31 July 1942 ; Oblt.z.S. Horst von Schroeter; 1 August 1942 – 17 June 1944;
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) until she was decommissioned on 18 August 1959.

History
U-123 at Lorient in February 1942
Nazi Germany
Name	U-123
Ordered	15 December 1937
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	955
Laid down	15 April 1939
Launched	2 March 1940
Commissioned	30 May 1940
Decommissioned	17 June 1944
Fate	Scuttled at Lorient on 19 August 1944. Raised and later became the French submarine Blaison
France
Name	Blaison
Acquired	1945
Decommissioned	18 August 1959
General characteristics
Class & type	Type IXB submarine
Displacement	1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) surfaced 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) submerged
Length	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught	4.70 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	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors double-acting electric motors, 1,000 PS (990 shp; 740 kW)
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 depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla 30 May 1940 – 1 August 1944
Identification codes:	M 08 800
Commanders:	Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle 30 May 1940 – 19 May 1941 Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen 19 May 1941 – 31 July 1942 Oblt.z.S. Horst von Schroeter 1 August 1942 – 17 June 1944
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)