German submarine U-160 (1941)

German submarine U-160 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. The keel for this boat was laid down on 21 November 1940 at the AG Weser yard in Bremen, Germany as 'werk' 1010. She was launched on 12 July 1941 and commissioned on 16 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Georg Lassen (Knight's Cross).

The U-boat's service began in training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She lost seven men and one was injured in a fire on 14 December 1941 at Danzig (now Gdansk). She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 March 1942 for operations.

She sank 26 ships, totalling 156,082 tons and damaged five more, for 34,419 tons. She was sunk by American carrier-borne aircraft in July 1943.

Operational career
Before starting on her first patrol, U-160 made a brief journey from Wilhelmshaven to Helgoland on 24 February 1942.

1st and 2nd patrols
She departed the German island on 1 March 1942, crossed the North Sea entered the Atlantic Ocean via the Faroe / Shetland gap and headed for the US east coast. Her first victim was the Equipoise, sunk on 27 March 1942 60 mi southeast of Cape Henry, Virginia. The confusion of the sinking was not helped by there being nationals from at least ten countries among the crew. The boat went on to successfully attack the City of New York, the Rio Blanco and the Ulysses. One ship that did not sink was the Bidwell; indeed, she survived the war, not being broken up until 1965.

U-160's second foray saw the boat leave Lorient on 20 June 1942. She crossed the Atlantic again but made for the northern coast of South America. The pickings were just as rich here as they had been further north. Sinking the Beaconlight, the Carmona and theTreminnard, who were all sailing without an escort, was accomplished within 200 mi of Trinidad. She also damaged the Thorshavet, an 11,000 tonner, with torpedo and gun on 4 August 1942. The drifting wreck was subsequently sunk by the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli on 6 August. U-160 returned to Lorient on the 24th.

3rd patrol
It was during her third patrol that the boat almost came to grief. She was attacked by the escorts of a convoy on 16 October 1942.; but the damage was slight. The submarine returned to her former hunting grounds off South America and sank the Gypsum Express and the Leda to name but two.

4th patrol
Her fourth sortie was her longest, at 125 days, but also her most successful. Moving into the south Atlantic, she sank the Roger B. Taney on 8 February. She then attacked and sank the Nipura, the Empire Mahseer and the Marietta E. east of South Africa. Also lost with the Marietta E. were eight landing craft. Other ships were also sunk. When the submariners questioned the survivors of the Aelbryn, they misunderstood the ship's name, reporting it as the Arian, an American vessel.

5th patrol and loss
By now she was based in Bordeaux, from which she departed on 29 June 1943. She was sunk by TBM Avenger and F4F Wildcat aircraft from the carrier USS Santee south of the Azores on 14 July 1943.