U-125

U-125. U-125 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. Commissioned in early 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Günther Kuhnke, it conducted several war patrols primarily in the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine was ultimately sunk in May 1943 during the climactic convoy battles of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Service history

U-125 was ordered by the Kriegsmarine on 7 August 1939 as part of the naval expansion program. Its keel was laid down on 10 May 1940 at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen, a major hub for U-boat construction. Following its launch on 10 December 1940, the boat was commissioned on 3 March 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Günther Kuhnke, a member of the crew of 1935. After commissioning, U-125 was assigned to the 2nd U-boat Flotilla based in Wilhelmshaven for training and work-up exercises. Upon becoming operational, it was transferred to the 10th U-boat Flotilla in Lorient, France, for front-line service in the Atlantic Ocean.

Design and specifications

As a Type IXC boat, U-125 was a larger ocean-going design intended for long-range patrols far from German-occupied Europe. It had a displacement of 1,120 tonnes surfaced and 1,232 tonnes submerged. The boat measured 76.76 meters in overall length with a beam of 6.76 meters and a draught of 4.70 meters. Propulsion was provided by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke diesel engines for surface running and two Siemens-Schuckert electric motors for submerged travel, giving it a top speed of over 18 knots on the surface. Its armament consisted of six torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) and it carried a complement of 22 5.45 cm deck guns for surface engagements. The standard crew comprised four officers and forty-four enlisted men.

Operational career

U-125 completed eight war patrols under two commanders, Günther Kuhnke and later Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Folkers. Its first patrol began in August 1941, departing from Kiel and operating off the coast of West Africa before arriving at its new base in Lorient. Subsequent patrols took it into the Caribbean Sea and the vital shipping lanes of the North Atlantic. The boat participated in several major wolfpack operations, including Operation Neuland and attacks on convoys such as Convoy ON 154 and Convoy HX 229. During these operations, U-125 engaged numerous Allied merchant vessels and warships, contributing to the tonnage war against British and American supply lines.

Fate

The career of U-125 ended violently on 6 May 1943 during the battle for Convoy ONS 5. After being depth-charged and damaged by the British corvette HMS *Snowflake* and the frigate HMS *Tay*, the submarine was forced to the surface. It was then engaged by gunfire from the Canadian destroyer HMCS *St. Laurent* and rammed by the British corvette HMS *Oribi*. The heavily damaged U-125 was scuttled by its crew in the North Atlantic southwest of Iceland. The entire crew of 54 men, including commander Ulrich Folkers, was lost.

Summary of raiding history

During its service, U-125 sank 17 merchant ships for a total of 82,873 Gross Register Tons and damaged two additional vessels. Among its victims were the British tanker *San Gaspar* and the American freighter *West Irmo*. It also engaged the Dutch merchantman *Arabutan* and the Greek steamer *Mount Kassion*. These attacks occurred across a wide area, from the waters near Trinidad to the frigid approaches to the United Kingdom. The boat's most successful patrol was its sixth, under Ulrich Folkers, conducted in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of British Guiana in mid-1942.

Category:Type IXC submarines Category:U-boats commissioned in 1941 Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean