Type: IX-D2
Built by: AG Weser (Bremen)
Launched: 25 October 1941
Commissioned: 14 February 1942
Feldpost Nr.: M36887
Sunk: 20 August 1944
Sunk by: blown up by her crew
Location sunk: Bordeaux
Position sunk: in the harbor (no men lost)
Top: Dommes
Middle: Insignia
KARL-HEINZ WIEBE (226+-1986) was Engineering Officer on U-9 under Luth; on U-67 then finally on U-178
Skippers of U-178 included Kapitanleutnant Hans Ibbeken from 14 February 1942 until February of 1943 and he also commanded U-27; Korvettenkapitan Wilhelm Dommes (KNIGHTS CROSS) (photo right) from February 1943 to November 1943 and he also commanded U-431; Kapitanleutnant Wilhelm Spahr until 20 August 1944 when the submarine was blown up by her crew.
U-178 was initially assigned to the 10th U-Bootflottille in Lorient, then she departed for operations off Capetown, South Africa and in the Indian Ocean October through December 1942 and also May through August 1943. After completion of the August 1943 patrol, U-178 went into the Japanese submarine base at Penang (off Malaya) and remained there until November 1943 when she departed for her return trip and she arrived France in May 1944 and reported to the 12`h U-Bootflottille in Bordeaux.
| SHIPS SUNK BY U-178 UNDER IBBEKEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.10.42 | DUCHESS of ATHOLL | Brit stmr | 20,119 GRT |
| 01.11.42 | MENDOZA | Brit stmr | 8,233 GRT |
| 04.11.42 | HAI HING | Norw stmr | 2,561 GRT |
| 04.11.42 | TREKIEVE | Brit stmr | 5,244 GRT |
| 27.11.42 | LOUISE MOLLER | Brit stmr | 3,764 GRT |
| 27.11.42 | JEREMIAH WADSWORTH | Amer stmr | 7,176 GRT |
| This was a brand new Liberty Ship, built in 1942. She was owned by Marine Transport Lines and operated by the Isthmian SS lines, under her Master Amt Magnusdal. Her armament consisted of one 4-inch gun and one 3-inch gun, and four 20mm automatic guns. She drew 31 feet under her cargo of 8,008 tons of war materiel and trucks and was making 11.4 knots when attacked.
She was en route from New Orleans to Cape Agulhas, South Africa when she was located and attacked by U-I78. Although she was zigzagging, the first torpedo hit her at the #5 hold starboard and the second torpedo hit only seconds later at the #3 hold while a third torpedo missed astern and a fourth hit forward at the # 1 hold. Two liferafts and one lifeboat were blown overboard. The Watch Officer ordered the engines secured but a stuck valve made this impossible. The first two lifeboats launched were swamped because the ship was still making headway and continued to circle at seven knots until she went down by the head. As she was circling, the Armed Guards fired several wild shots at what they thought might be a periscope but hit nothing. All eight officers, thirty-five men and fourteen Armed Guards successfully abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats and two rafts. U-178 surfaced, questioned the men in the boats, then departed the area. The men in the liferafts transferred over to the three lifeboats but became separated in the night. After eight days, one boat was spotted by the steamer JOHN LYKES and the nineteen men were picked up and taken to Bermuda. The second boat was recovered by an unknown Allied ship and the survivors taken to Cape Town. The British armed merchant cruiser ALCANTARA (F-88) picked up the eighteen men in the third boat and landed them at Simonstown, South Africa. All men survived. | |||
| 01.06.43 | SALABANGKA | Neth stmr | 6,586 GRT |
| (SALABANGKA was damaged by torpedoes from U-178 and was being towed into port. A sudden storm came up and she foundered and sank.) | |||
| 04.07.43 | BREIVIKEN | Norw stmr | 2,669 GRT |
| 11.7.43 | MICHAEL LIVANOS | Grk stmr | 4,774 GRT |
| 11.7.43 | MARY LIVANOS | Grk stmr | 4,771 GRT |
| 14.07.43 | ROBERT BACON | Amer stmr | 7,191 GRT |
| 16.07.43 | CITY of CANTON | Brit stmr | 6,692 GRT |
Crewman Konrad Lewitz relaxes on the deck gun of U-178 during safe time in port. Notice the `railroad tracks' along the sides of the boat. That is for the little cart used to reload torpedoes from the deck storage down the forward loading hatch when at sea.