German submarine U-166 (1941)

A deck gun of the sunken U-166
History
Nazi Germany
NameU-166
Ordered25 September 1939
BuilderSeebeckwerft, Wesermünde
Yard number705
Laid down6 December 1940
Launched1 November 1941
Commissioned23 March 1942
FateSunk by USS PC-566, 30 July 1942
General characteristics
Class & typeType IXC submarine
Displacement
  • 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a
  • 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
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
  • 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced
  • 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 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 35 882
Commanders:
  • Oblt.z.S. Hans-Günther Kuhlmann
  • 23 March – 30 July 1942
Operations:
  • 2 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 1 – 10 June 1942
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 17 June – 30 July 1942
Victories: 4 merchant ships sunk
(7,593 GRT)
S.S. Robert E. Lee and U-166 (shipwrecks and remains)
AreaAdjacent to the SS Robert E. Lee shipwreck
NRHP reference No.100002558
Added to NRHP7 December 2018

German submarine U-166 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 December 1940 at the Seebeckwerft (part of Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, Deschimag) at Wesermünde (modern Bremerhaven) as yard number 705, launched on 1 November 1941, and commissioned on 23 March 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Kuhlmann. After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla, U-166 was transferred to the 10th U-boat Flotilla for front-line service on 1 June 1942. The U-boat sailed on only two war patrols and sank four ships totalling 7,593 gross register tons (GRT). She was sunk on 30 July 1942 in the Gulf of Mexico.