Type: IX-C
Built by: AG Weser (Bremen)
Launched: 20 February, 1941
Commissioned: 22 March, 1941
Feldpost Nr.: M41096
Sunk: 17 May, 1943
Sunk by: USS JOUETT, USS MOFFETT, and Aircraft of VP.74
Location sunk: 200 miles ENE of Bahia
Position sunk: 10.00S x 35.35W (1 man lost, the Chief Engineer)

The first Skipper of U-128 was KorvettenKapitän Ulrich Heyse, who was later transferred to U.L.D. (U-Boat Training) Staff. Oberleutnant zur See (later Kapitänleutnant) Hermann Steinert took command on 15 January, 1943.

U-128 was assigned to the famed 2nd U-Boot-Flotille based at Lorient, France and operated off Florida and the Bahamas February and March of 1942; off northeastern Brazil in May and June of 1942; off Freetown in October and November of 1942. She took two prisoners off the SS START POINT on 11 November, 1942. During her patrol in the Bahamas, U-128 was part of Operation NEULAND.

The boat bore the coat of arms of the city of Ulm as well as a white horse encircled with the phrase

“Alter Schimmel. Hauhoh! Hauhoh!”

which translates to something like “Old plowhorse, giddiyup, giddiyup.” Some reports indicate that as many as 7 of the crew were lost when U-128 was destroyed. All the ships sunk by U-128 were under command of Ulrich Heyse.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-128
19.02.42	PAN MASSACHUSETTS	Amer Tnkr	8,202 GRT
22.02.42	CITIES SERVICE EMPIRE	Amer tnkr	8,103 GRT
05.03.42	O.A. KNUDSEN	Norw tnkr	11,007 GRT
13.05.42	DENPARK	Brit stmr	3,491 GRT
(U-128 claimed another ship sunk with the same salvo of torpedoes and saw a smoke pillar, but the steamer of estimated 8,000 GRT was unconfirmed)
08.06.42	SOUTH AFRICA	Norw tnkr	9,234 GRT
21.06.42	WEST IRA	Amer stmr	5,681 GRT
23.06.42	ANDREA BROVIG	Norw tnkr	10,173 GRT
27.06.42	POLYBIUS	Amer stmr	7,041 GRT
28.06.42	STEEL ENGINEER	Amer stmr	6,687 GRT
Heyse saw two torpedoes hit and detonate on this ship, but the ship only stopped for a short time then went ahead, but with a list
08.11.42	MALOJA	Norw stmr	6,400 GRT
10.11.42	CERINTHUS	Brit tnkr	3,878 GRT
10.11.42	START POINT	Brit stmr	5,293 GRT
05.12.42	TEESBANK	Brit mtrshp	5,136 GRT