German submarine U-123 (1940)

Unterseeboot 123 was a Type IXB U-boat of the Kriegsmarine. She was commissioned in May 1940, with "Kapitänleutnant" Karl-Heinz Moehle in command. Moehle was relieved on 19 May 1941 by Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen, who was relieved in turn on 1 August 1942 by "Oberleutnant zur See" Horst von Schroeter. Schroeter commanded until the boat was decommissioned.

U-123 conducted 12 war patrols, sinking 45 ships totalling 227,174 tons and damaging six others totaling 53,568 tons.

On 17 November 1940 "Mechanikergefreiter" Fritz Pfeifer was lost overboard.

U-123 took part in the opening of the "Paukenschlag" (Operation Drumbeat) in January 1942 and completed two very successful patrols off the US east coast. On 27 March 1942 the Q-ship "Atik" ("Carolyn") and U-123 had a gunnery duel off the US east coast. "Fähnrich zur See" Rudi Holzer from U-123 was fatally wounded in the action and died a few hours later. "Atik" was destroyed with all hands.

On the night of April 8, 1942, U-123 was positioned off the shores of St. Simons Island, Georgia. It torpedoed and sank two tankers, the S.S. Oklahoma and the Esso Baton Rouge. Twenty-two seamen were killed.

On the night of April 10, 1942, U-123 torpedoed and sank the SS Gulfamerica about two miles off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. The SS Gulfamerica was on its maiden voyage from Philadelphia to Port Arthur, Texas with 90,000 barrels of fuel oil. Nineteen crewmen on the SS Gulfamerica were lost. [http://www.pierce-evans.org/homefront.htm] [http://www.armed-guard.com/pbtnm.html] [http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncbrunsw/benjones.html] [http://www.shipwreckexpo.com/fleastgulfamerica.htm]

On 7 November 1943 U-123 was attacked by a Mosquito aircraft from RAF 618 Squadron, suffering one dead and two wounded.

On 17 June 1944 U-123 was taken out of service at Lorient, and scuttled there on 19 August 1944. She was raised by France in 1945 after Germany's surrender, and became the French submarine "Blaison". When France decommissioned her on 18 August 1959, she was known as Q165.

References

*cite web | title= Uboat.net| work= The Boats – U-123| url=http://uboat.net/boats/u123.htm| accessdate=3 April| accessyear=2007
*cite web | title= Ubootwaffe.net| work= U-123| url=http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/boat.cgi?boat=123| accessdate=4 April| accessyear=2007

ee also

*List of U-boats