U-175

Type

IXC

Ordered

23 Dec, 1939

Laid down

30 Jan, 1941

AG Weser, Bremen (werk 1015)

Launched

2 Sep, 1941

Commissioned

5 Dec, 1941

Kptlt. Heinrich Bruns

Commanders

5 Dec, 1941 - 17 Apr, 1943

KrvKpt. Heinrich Bruns

Career

3 patrols

5 Dec, 1941 - 31 Aug, 1942 4. Flottille (training)
1 Sep, 1942 - 17 Apr, 1943 10. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

10 ships sunk for a total of 40.619 GRT

Fate

Sunk 17 April, 1943 south-west of Ireland, in position 47.53N, 22.04W, by depth charges and gunfire from the US Coast Guard cutter USS Spencer. 13 dead and 41 survivors.

See the 10 ships hit by U-175 - View the 3 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

2 Oct, 1942
The boat was attacked twice by an American B-18 aircraft (USAF) but suffered no damage.

1 Jan, 1943
At 18.53 hours, the boat was attacked by a British Catalina aircraft (RAF Sqdn 270 / V) with 5 bombs off Sierra Leone and suffered minor damages. (Sources: Rohwer/Ritschel)

30 Jan, 1943
At 16.57 hours, the returning boat was attacked by a British Catalina aircraft (RAF Sqdn 270 / G) with 6 bombs southwest of Dakar. The extensive damages limited the ability to dive and a trace of oil caused a serious loss of fuel that had to be replenished from U-118 (Czygan) on 11 February. (Sources: Rohwer/Ritschel)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

Another Commanding officer?
There is a rather common misunderstanding that Gerhardt Muntz commanded U-175. This is found in variety of sources but is not true and no U-boat commander with that name existed in WWII and certainly not on U-175.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-175 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.