Type: IX-C
Built by: Seebeckwerft (Bremerhaven)
Launched: 15 August 1941
Commissioned: 3 February 1942
Feldpost Nr.: M47655
Sunk: 27 September, 1942
Sunk by: RAF A/C and a mine
Location sunk: Bay of Biscay
Position sunk: 47.50N x 03.22W (all bands lost, 50 men)

The only Skipper of U-165 was KK Eberhard Hoffmann

U-165 was attached to the 10th U-BootFlotlille based at Lorient. Aside from her training patrols, U-165 was lost on her first war patrol. She patrolled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River. She was on her way home when lost in the Bay of Biscay.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-165
08.28.42	ARLYN	Amer stmr	3,304 GRT
ARLYN, traveling in Convoy SCY.6 (along with LARAMIE) was an older ship, built in 1919. She was owned by A. H. Bull & Co, operated by the U.S. Maritime Commission and was carrying 3,000 tons of gas, explosives, trucks and general cargo. She drew 20 feet six inches and was making 7.5 knots when she was hit. Her armament consisted of one 4" deck gun and four 20mm automatic guns. Along with this convoy of five other ships and three escorts, she sailed from New York to Hudson Bay in Canada. She was on the port side of the convoy with LARAMIE to her starboard. One torpedo from U-165 hit her portside amidships in the engine room. The boilers were destroyed and thus, all power ceased aboard ship which quickly settled by the stem, but then stopped sinking when her decks were awash and she remained afloat on an ever keel with decks awash. Master Eyolf Wennesland ordered the boats lowered and the ship abandoned. Of the eight officers, twenty-six men and one passenger, some panicked and leaped overboard before the boats could be launched. One lifeboat and two rafts were launched and those in the water who had jumped early were picked up. The fourteen men of the Armed Guard manned their guns until the last possible moment but with no target to shoot at, they finally went off the stern and swam to the boats. Three officers and nine men of the ship's compliment died in the attack. SS HARJURAND picked up some of the survivors the next day while the others rowed the ten miles to the coast. ARLYN remained afloat but awash for another six hours until sunk by a coup de grace from U-517.
09.06.42	HELEN FORSEY	Braz sail	176 GRT
09.06.42	RACCOON	Cana patrol	358 GRT
Hoffmann reported two hits on two ships of a combined tonnage of 19,000 GRT. He sank this 358 ton patrol boat
09.16.42	JOANNIS	Greek stmr	3,667 GRT

SHIPS DAMAGED BY U-165
08.28.42	LARAMIE	Amer tnkr	7,252 GRT
09.16.42	ESSEX LANCE	Brit stmr	6,625 GRT
09.16.42	PAN YORK	Amer stmr	4,570 GRT