U-166

 

When I was hunting for a ship for “Shipwreck Monday”, I was amazed at the U-boats that were sank along U.S. shores. There quite a few. Here is one of them, U-166.

German submarine U-166 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 6 December 1940 at the Seebeckwerft at Wesermünde launched on 1 November 1941 and commissioned on 23 March 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Kuhlmann.

SS Robert E. Lee was under escort from the United States Navy patrol craft PC-566 approximately 45 miles  south of the Mississippi River Delta when she was torpedoed by U-166. PC-566 immediately attacked the U-boat, and claimed to have sunk her with depth charges.

On 1 August 1942, a United States Coast Guard J4F-1 Widgeon amphibious aircraft, spotted a U-boat approximately 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Houma, Louisiana. The aircraft attacked, and it appeared that the U-boat was hit in the attack. U-166 was reported missing in action on 30 July 1942, which coincided with the American aircraft's attack on "a U-Boat", leading to the aircraft being credited with the sinking of U-166. Both airmen were decorated for the action.

However, in 2001, when the wreck of SS Robert E. Lee was located, in a depth of more than 5,000 feet of water, the wreck of U-166 was also located, less than two miles from where it had attacked the Robert E. Lee. Upon investigation, it was discovered that another U-boat, U-171, also operating in the Gulf of Mexico, had reported coming under attack from an American aircraft on 1 August 1942, with little damage. Therefore, the credit for the sinking of U-166 should have gone to PC-566.

The site where U-166 lies, at 28°37′N 90°45′ Coordinates: 28°37′N 90°45′W has now been designated a war grave due to its crew of 52 being entombed there, and is protected from any future attempts to salvage it.