Wolfpack Eisbär

Gruppe Eisbär

Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean and South Africa to the south-east

Operational scope| Operation
Planned by| Kriegsmarine
Objective| Attacks on merchant ships in the South Atlantic
Date| Began 23 August 1942 (1942-08-23)
Executed by| Gruppe Eisbär

Gruppe Eisbär (Group Polar Bear) was a force of German U-boats that operated from 23 August 1942 in the South Atlantic during the Second World War. The group was assembled to operate off Cape Town which was considered to be vulnerable. Some of the most experienced U-boat commanders including Harald Gelhaus, Werner Hartenstein and Carl Emmermann participated in the operation.

During the voyage south, the group temporarily was diverted to attack Convoy SL 119 which had been attacked gruppe Blücher and U-156 sank SS Clan Macwhirter (5,941 GRT) on 27 August and sank the liner SS Laconia on 12 September, which began the Laconia Incident, leading to U-156 being replaced in Eisbär by U-159 and the group being redirected to the waters around South Africa.

The Allies were preoccupied with Operation Torch and the campaign in north-west Africa, giving priority to the protection of troop convoys that left the Allied navies with few ships to reinforce the South Atlantic Station.

## Background

[edit]

### Kriegsmarine

[edit]

Main article: Oberkommando der Marine

class=notpageimage|

5th parallel south

At a review of naval operations in September 1942, Rear-Admiral (Konteradmiral) Karl Dönitz the commander, U-boats (Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote BdU) described to Hitler the declining prospects for U-boat operations off the east coast of the US due to the introduction of convoys and increased air reconnaissance. The U-boats were to return to the North Atlantic, the coast of West Africa and to Cape Town in the South Atlantic.[1] In 1941 the Germans had attempted to attack ships around South Africa but were defeated by the interception of German U-boat supply ships.[2]

For operations in 1942, Dönitz had available long-range Type IX submarines and supply boats to substitute for commerce raiders used earlier in the war.[2] In mid-August the four Type IXC U-boats of gruppe Eisbär had sailed from France, followed at intervals by four of the new and larger Type IXD2 submarines. The boats were allowed to attack targets of opportunity until beyond latitude 5° south when they were allowed only to attack large ships. Concealing the destination of the U-boats was important for an attack to be made on Cape Town.[3]

### German plan

[edit]

Photograph of Cape Town showing the Cape Peninsula and Table Bay (centre left) from the International Space Station

Dönitz and the commanders due to operate in Gruppe Eisbär planned that around 5 October 1942, U-68 (Karl-Friedrich Merten) and U-172 (Carl Emmermann) would conduct a reconnaissance of Table Bay, getting past the minefield sown by the German commerce raider Doggerbank (Schiff 53 earlier in the year and the defensive minefields laid by the British, using captured charts, In the early hours of 8 October, during the new moon an attack on the expected fifty ships anchored there would be made. Outside the bay, U-159, U-504 and U-179 would lie in ambush for ships fleeing the bay. The boats might then raid the Indian Ocean, depending on circumstances.[4]

### Royal Navy

[edit]

#### Submarine Tracking Room

[edit]

At the tracking room at the Admiralty, Commander Rodger Winn, kept watch over the deployment of U-boats and on 2 August, before the departure of the four Type IXC U-boats of Gruppe Eisbär, Winn speculated that the U-boats off Freetown in Sierra Leone and a possible move to Ascension Island might foreshadow a move further south. Winn thought that the departure of Gruppe Eisbär and its Milch Cow support boat was for operations in far waters and Winn guessed that they were bound for the waters off South Africa. The departure of Gruppe Eisbär in mid-August and the sailing at intervals of four of the new and larger U-cruisers of the Type IXD2 class from 21 September bore out Winn's analysis when SS Laconia was sunk on 12 September and U-156 began signalling for assistance on the international frequency. Survivors rescued by U-boats were transferred to Vichy rescue ships; Winn thought that the attack on Laconia was not conclusive but on 21 September, he warned the Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic that the arrival of U-boats in the south 'seemed imminent'. On 28 September Winn reported that the whereabouts of the U-boats was unknown but that two fishermen had reported seeing the landing of men from a U-boat about 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) north of Cape Town.[5]

In early October, in an administrative blunder, German news reported that U-boats were operating in the Far East. On 5 October, Winn reported that by mid-October, U-boats might operate in the Mozambique Channel and two days later when a ship was sunk off Cape Town. The Admiralty and the Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic had reduced the shipping at Cape Town by making Durban, on the east coast, the last stop for ships bound for Britain from the Indian Ocean. For the duration of Operation Torch, ships were routed far to the south of Cape Town and then north-west to Brazil, Trinidad and the US, to join convoys across the north Atlantic.[6] Unknown to the British, gruppe Eisbär was not going to operate as a rudel (pack) in the South Atlantic but to disperse after a raid on Table Bay near Cape Town.[7]

#### South Atlantic Station

[edit]

In late 1942, the demands of Operation Torch (8–12 November) especially after the length of the campaign in Algeria and Tunisia took longer than expected, ending in May 1943 and required more supplies, requiring more convoys, that stretched the Allied escort effort. The west Africa–south Africa–east Africa route continued unescorted for much longer; ships were sent on devious courses to evade U-boats but they had eventually to cross the South Atlantic.[8] The naval forces of the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic were not adequate for an anti-U-boat campaign. Four destroyers and a few corvettes were based at Cape Town, some on loan from the Eastern Fleet based at Mombasa. There were not enough escorts or aircraft to convoy ships on the Cape to Freetown route up the west coast of Africa or the Cape to Suez route up the east coast. The exigencies of Operation Torch meant that there were few reinforcements available for South Africa. The British and the Americans diverted twelve British anti-submarine warfare (ASW) trawlers from the Western Approaches and eighteen from US waters, along with six more destroyers and four corvettes from the Eastern Fleet. Four Catalina flying boats of 209 Squadron were transferred to Cape Town and Durban. The transfers took time and the trawlers from US waters did not arrive until December.[9]

## Prelude

[edit]

Gruppe Blücher attacked Convoy SL 119 and Dönitz, the BdU, diverted the Type IXC U-boats U-68, U-156, U-172 and U-504 of Gruppe Eisbär to join in the attack; U-156 sank SS Clan Macwhirter (5,941 GRT) on 27 August and on 12 September sank Laconia and became involved in the Laconia incident. Dönitz was overruled by Generaladmiral Erich Raeder the Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine and the staff at Seekriegsleitung, the operational headquarters of the German navy. Gruppe Eisbär was redirected southwards to Cape Town, refuelling from the tanker, U-459 south of Ascension Island. U-68 had sunk the British ship SS Trevilley (5,300 GRT) on 12 September and the Dutch ship SS Breedijk (6,861 GRT) on 14 September; U-159 took over from U-156.[7][10] A second wave of four long-range Type IXD2 boats, U-177, U-178, U-179, U-181 and an Italian U-cruiser, Ammiraglio Cagni, were close behind. None of the other boats had fired torpedoes leaving the other IXC boats with 22 torpedoes each, the IXD2s with 24 each and Cagni with 42).[11]

## Operations

[edit]

### Cape Town

[edit]

Map of South Africa and coastal ports

On the night of 6/7 October, U-68 and U-172 moved towards Table Bay on the surface, Emmermann in U-172 placing most of the crew on the deck wearing life jackets in case a mine was set off. The bay was seen to be empty and covered by searchlights and radar, precluding the likelihood of the attack achieving surprise. The captains contacted BdU to request that the plan be abandoned but Dönitz wanted them to continue. Outside the bay, U-159 sank the British SS Boringia. At midnight on 8 October when the attack was due to begin, Cape Town had not been blacked out and the authoritie were ignorant of the U-boat attack. Having received a garbled reply, Emmermann 'assumed that BdU had agreed to the cancellation and that he had freedom of action' from 4:00 a.m. on 7 October.[12]

U-172 sank the US ship SS Chickasaw City and then the Panamanian SS Firethorn. U-172 sank SS Pantelis with a torpedo and U-68 used seven torpedoes to sink the Greek freighter SS Koumoundouros and the Dutch SS Gaasterkirk, both of which managed to transmit distress signals. At dawn the destroyers HMS Active, Arrow and Foxhound and HMAS Nizam, with the corvette HMS Rockrose sailed and spent much of the day rescuing survivors. Every aircraft that was airworthy went aloft to reconnoitre. The next morning, when SS Clan Mactavish tried to rescue the 28 survivors of Boringia it was torpedoed and another seven members of the crew of Boringia were killed along with 53 from Clan Mactavish. Aircraft on anti-submarine patrol guided SS Matheran to the area to rescue survivors who were landed at Cape Town.[12]

### Other attacks

[edit]

HMS Active photographed under way in 1944

U-159 had gone into action off Cape Town on and sank the US ship SS Coloradan on 9 October then survived a depth-charge attack by a South African aircraft. U-159 moved to the south-east and sank SS Empire Nomad, SS Ross and SS Laplace, all British, by the end of the month.[13] On 7 November, the US ship, SS La Salle, 350 nmi (650 km; 400 mi) to the south-east of the Cape of Good Hope, was destroyed when its cargo of ammunition exploded, the sound being heard 300 nmi (560 km; 350 mi) away at the Cape Point lighthouse. The next ship sunk was a US schooner, SS Star of Scotland, by gunfire, the survivors making a 1,040 nmi (1,930 km; 1,200 mi)-voyage to the Santa Maria lighthouse in Angola. By this time, U-159 was on the return leg of its voyage and refuelled from U-461 before sailing for St Paul's Rocks, about 510 nmi (940 km; 590 mi) to the north-east of Brazil, then raiding along the Brazilian coast. U-159 sank the liner, SS City of Bombay, from which 120 of the 130 crew and passengers survived, twelve of whom were rescued by SS Star of Suez which U-159 sank on 15 December. SS East Wales was sunk on 16 December and then U-159 sailed for Lorient in France.[14]

On 8 October, U-172 had sunk the Panamanian MV Firethorn and the Greek Pantelis. Anti-submarine vessels from Cape Town attacked the U-boat, which escaped with minor damage. On 10 October the troopship SS Orcades, en route from Suez to Britain, was sunk in a storm. BdU sent U-172 to Brazilian coastal waters and in mid-November, it sank SS Aldington Court and SS Llandilo in the South Atlantic, then SS Benlomond off the Brazilian coast then sank the US SS Alaskan off St Paul's Rocks, before refuelling for the voyage home.[15]

Location map of the Saint Peter and Paul Rocks (00°55′1″N 29°20′45″W﻿ / ﻿0.91694°N 29.34583°W﻿ / 0.91694; -29.34583)

On 8 October, after U-68 had sunk the Greek Koumoundouros and the Dutch Gaasterkerk, it sank the US tanker SS Swiftsure and the British liner SS Sarthe. On 9 October, the US ship SS Examelia was sunk, followed by the emigré-manned SS Belgian Fighter. On 29 October, short of fuel, U-68 began the journey home and on 6 November, about 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) south of Saint Helena sank SS City of Cairo with the loss of 104 crew and passengers. The captain, Karl-Friedrich Merten, surfaced and gave the survivors a compass course for Saint Helena.[16]

U-504 commenced operations off Cape Town on 17 October then headed up the east coast of South Africa and sank SS Empire of Chaucer. All but three of the crew of Empire of Chaucer survived, the captain and 11 men being rescued by Empire Squire, after 23 days fifteen men were rescued by SS Nebraska and another 14 landed at Bredasdorp in the Western Cape, after a two-week voyage. On 23 October, SS City of Johannesburg was sunk off East London and on 26 October U-504 sank the US ship SS Anne Hutchinson, followed on 31 October by the British SS Empire Guidon east of Durban and SS Reynolds off Madagascar. U-504 sank the Brazilian SS Porto Alegre east of Port Elizabeth on its return voyage.[17]

### U-cruiser attacks

[edit]

SAAF Lockheed PV1 Ventura

U-179 had not been diverted to Convoy SL 119 and on the afternoon of 8 October, while 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) south of Cape Town, dived to avoid a Ventura maritime reconnaissance bomber of the South African Air Force. Before night fell it torpedoed SS City of Athens then dived to 80 m (260 ft) after seeing another aircraft. The crew of the freighter managed to launch all six lifeboats, that were spotted by another Ventura. Many other ships were under attack and sending distress calls but Active was diverted to rescue the survivors and took on board the crew, less one man, by 11:30 a.m. The destroyer got a radar contact 2,500 yd (2,300 m) to the south-east, followed by an Asdic contact then a sighting. Active accelerated to 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph), opened fire and then dropped depth-charges that brought the U-boat to the surface, after which it sank out of view. No wreckage was found but a large oil slick formed.[18]

Ammiraglio Cagni sank the Greek ship SS Argo (2,000 GRT) on 29 November but a greater ASW effort being made off the Cape of Good Hope led the commander, Carlo Liannazza, to sail for home, refuelling near the equator from U-459 and returning to BETASOM (Bordeaux).[19]

## Aftermath

[edit]

### Analysis

[edit]

In 2005, Richard Woodman wrote that for the loss of U-179 the German long-range submarines exposed the vulnerability of British shipping which was necessarily dispersed all over the globe. The sinking of U-179 was the only result of the anti-submarine warfare effort made in the region because the U-boats did not follow Rudeltaktik (wolfpack tactics) but operated individually.[20] In 2000, Clay Blair called the gruppe Eisbär operation one of the most successful U-boat efforts of the war. Four Type IX boats sank 23 ships (155,335 GRT) off Cape Town and Durban along with eleven ships (60,829 GRT) in transit to and from the cape for a total of 34 ships (216,164 GRT), an average of 8.5 ships (54,041 GRT) per boat, a greater monthly success than the best month of attacks off the US coast. The U-cruisers that operated off Cape Town and Durban sank 27 ships of 161,407 GRT, an average of 6.75 ships per U-boat (40,350 GRT). The ship sunk by Ammiraglio Cagni raised the total to 28 ships and 163,400 GRT.[21]

## German order of battle

[edit]

### Group Polar Bear (Eisbär)

[edit]

Gruppe Eisbär[22] Boat  | Name  | Flag  | Type  | Notes

|
|
|
|

U-68 | Karl-Friedrich Merten |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXC submarine |
U-156 | Werner Hartenstein |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXC submarine | Replaced by U-159 after the Laconia incident
U-159 | Helmut Witte |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXC submarine | Replaced U-156 after the Laconia incident
U-172 | Carl Emmermann |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXC submarine |
U-459 | Wilamowitz-Moellendorff |  Kriegsmarine | Type XIV submarine | Tanker and supply boat
U-504 | Fritz Poske |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXC submarine |

## Ships attacked

[edit]

### gruppe Eisbär

[edit]

Merchant ships attacked by gruppe Eisbär[23] Ship  | Year  | Flag  | GRT | Notes

|
|
|
|

SS Trevilley | 1940  |  United Kingdom | 5,296  | Sunk U-68, 12 September, 04°30′S, 07°50′W, 2†, 49 resc.
SS Breedijk | 1922  |  Netherlands | 6,861  | Sunk U-68, 15 September, 5°05′S, 8°54′W, 2† 50 resc.
SS Koumoundouros | 1925  |  Greece | 3,598  | Sunk, U-68, 8 October, 34°10′S, 17°07′E, 5† 26 resc.
SS Gaasterkerk | 1922  |  Netherlands | 8,679  | Sunk, U-68, 8 October, 34°20′S, 18°10′E, all 64 resc.
SS Swiftsure | 1921  |  United States | 8,207  | Sunk, U-68, 8 October, 34°40′S, 18°25′E, all 33 resc.
SS Sarthe | 1920  |  United Kingdom | 5,271  | Sunk, U-68, 8 October, 34°50′S, 18°40′E, all 57 resc.
SS Examelia | 1920  |  United States | 4,981  | Sunk, U-68, 9 October, 34°52′S, 18°30′E, 11† 40 resc.
SS Belgian Fighter | 1921  |  Belgium | 5,403  | Sunk, U-68, 9 October, 35°00′S, 18°30′E, 5† 49 resc.
SS City of Cairo | 1915  |  United Kingdom | 8,034  | Sunk, U-68, 6 November, 23°30′S, 05°30′W, 104† 192 resc.
SS Clan Macwhirter | 1918  |  United Kingdom | 5,941  | Sunk U-156, 26 August, 35°45′N, 18°45′W, 11†, 77 resc.
RMS Laconia | 1922  |  United Kingdom | 19,695  | Sunk U-156, 12 September, 5°05′S, 11°38′W, 1,658† 1,083 resc.
SS Quebec City | 1927  |  United Kingdom | 4,745  | Sunk U-156, 19 September, 2°12′S, 17°36′W, 1† 41 resc.
SS Boringia | 1930  |  Denmark | 5,821  | Sunk U-159, 7 October, 35°09′S, 16°32′E, 32† 33 resc.
SS Clan Mactavish | 1921  |  United Kingdom | 7,631  | Sunk U-159, 8 October, 34°53′S, 16°45′E, 61† 75 resc.
SS Coloradan | 1920  |  United States | 6,557  | Sunk U-159, 9 October, 35°47′S, 14°34′E, 6† 48 resc.
SS Empire Nomad | 1942  |  United Kingdom | 7,167  | Sunk U-159, 37°50′S, 18°16′E 7† 46 resc.
SS Ross | 1936  |  United Kingdom | 4,978  | Sunk U-159, 29 October, 38°51′S, 21°40′E, 1† 39 resc.
SS Laplace | 1919  |  United Kingdom | 7,327  | Sunk U-159, 29 October, 40°33′S, 21°35′E, all 63 resc.
SS La Salle | 1920  |  United States | 5,462  | Sunk U-159, 7 November, 40°00′S, 21°30′E, all 60†
SS Star of Scotland | 1887  |  United States | 2,290  | Sunk U-159, 13 November, 26°30′S, 00°20′W, 1† 16 resc.
SS City of Bombay | 1937  |  United Kingdom | 7,410  | Sunk U-159, 13 December, 02°43′S, 29°06′W, 20† 130 resc.
SS Star of Suez | 1926  |  Egypt | 4,999  | Sunk U-159, 15 December, 00°42′S, 29°34′W, 2† 40 resc.
SS East Wales | 1925  |  United Kingdom | 4,358  | Convoy Trin-27, sunk U-159, 16 Dec, 00°24′N, 31°27′W, 17† 28 resc.
SS Chickasaw City | 1920  |  United States | 6,296  | Sunk, U-172, 7 October, 34°05′S, 17°16′E, 7† 43 resc.
SS Firethorn | 1937  |  Panama | 4,700  | Sunk U-172, 7 October, 34°13′S, 17°21′E, 12† 49 resc.
SS Pantelis | 1911  |  Greece | 3,845  | Sunk U-172, 8 October, 34°20′S, 17°50′E, 28† 5 resc.
SS Orcades | 1927  |  United Kingdom | 23,456  | Sunk U-172, 10 October, 35°51′S, 14°40′E, 48† 1,016 resc.
SS Aldington Court | 1929  |  United Kingdom | 4,982  | Sunk U-172, 31 October, 30°20′S, 02°10′W, 34† 10 resc.
SS Llandilo | 1928  |  United Kingdom | 4,966  | Sunk U-172, 2 November, 27°03′S, 02°59′W, 24† 20 resc.
SS Benlomond | 1922  |  United Kingdom | 6,630  | Sunk U-172, 23 November, 0°30′N, 38°45′W, 55† 1 resc.
SS Alaskan | 1918  |  United States | 5,364  | Sunk U-172, 28 November, 03°58′N, 26°19′W, 7† 39 resc.
SS Empire Chaucer | 1942  |  United Kingdom | 5,970  | Sunk U-504, 17 October, 38° 12'S, 20° 04'E, 3† 47 resc.
SS City of Johannesburg | 1920  |  United Kingdom | 5,669  | Sunk U-504, 23 October, 33°20′S, 29°30′E, 2† 87 resc.
SS Anne Hutchinson | 1942  |  United States | 7,176  | Sunk U-504, 26 October, 33°10′S, 28°30′E, 3† 54 resc.
SS Empire Guidon | 1942  |  United Kingdom | 7,041  | Sunk U-504, 31 October, 30° 48'S, 34° 11'E, 2† 52 resc.
SS Reynolds | 1927  |  United Kingdom | 5,024  | Sunk U-504, 31 October, 30°02′S, 35°02′E, all 47†
SS Porto Alegre | 1921  |  Brazil | 5,187  | Sunk U-504, 3 November, 35°27′S, 28°02′E, 1†, 57 resc.

### U-cruisers

[edit]

U-cruiser force[24] Boat  | Name  | Flag  | Type  | Notes

|
|
|
|

U-177 | Robert Gysae |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXD2 submarine |
U-178 | Hans Ibbeken |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXD2 submarine |
U-179 | Ernst Sobe |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXD2 submarine | Sunk, 8 October, 33°28′S, 17°05′E, all 67†[25]
U-181 | Wolfgang Lüth |  Kriegsmarine | Type IXD2 submarine |
Ammiraglio Cagni | Carlo Liannazza |  Kingdom of Italy | Cagni-class submarine |

### U-cruiser attacks

[edit]

Merchant ships[26][27] Ship  | Year  | Flag  | GRT | Notes

|
|
|
|

SS Aegeus | 1920  |  Greece | 4,538  | Sunk U-177, 2 November, 32°30′S, 16°00′E, all 29†
SS Cerion | 1938  |  United Kingdom | 2,558  | Damaged U-177, 9 November, 35°58′S, 26°37′E, 2† 44 resc.
SS Scottish Chief | 1928  |  United Kingdom | 7,006  | Sunk U-177, 19 November, 30°39'S, 34°41'E, 36† 12 resc.
SS Pierce Butler | 1942  |  United States | 7,191  | Sunk U-177, 20 November, 29°40′S, 36°35′E, all 62 resc.
SS Nova Scotia | 1926  |  United Kingdom | 6,796  | Sunk U-177, 28°30′S, 33°00′E, 858† 194 resc.
SS Llandaff Castle | 1926  |  United Kingdom | 10,799  | Sunk U-177, 30 November, 27°20′S, 33°40′E, 3† 310 resc.
SS Saronikos | 1912  |  Greece | 3,548  | Sunk U-177, 7 December, 24°46′S, 35°30′E, 31† 2 resc.
SS Empire Gull | 1919  |  United Kingdom | 6,408  | Sunk U-177, 12 December, 26°15′S, 34°40′E, 2† 44 resc.
SS Sawahloento | 1921  |  Netherlands | 3,085  | Sunk U-177, 14 December, 31°02′S, 34°00′E, 53† 19 resc.
SS Duchess of Atholl | 1928  |  United Kingdom | 20,119  | Sunk U-178, 10 October, 07°03′S, 11°12′W, 4† 821 resc.
SS Mendoza | 1919  |  United Kingdom | 8,233  | Sunk U-178, 1 November, 29°20′S, 32°13′E, 26† 380 resc.
SS Hai Hing | 1929  |  Norway | 2,561  | Sunk U-178, 4 November, 25°55′S, 33°10′E 25† 42 resc.
SS Trekieve | 1919  |  United Kingdom | 5,244  | Sunk U-178, 4 November, 25°46′S, 33°48′E, 3† 47 resc.
SS Louise Moller | 1907  |  United Kingdom | 3,764  | Sunk U-178, 13 November, 30°50′S, 35°54′E. 11† 52 resc.
SS Adviser | 1939  |  United Kingdom | 6,348  | Damaged U-178, 15 November, 32°03′S, 33°52′E, all 66 resc.
SS Jeremiah Wadsworth | 1942  |  United States | 7,176  | Sunk U-178, 27 November, 39°25′S, 22°23′E, all 57 resc.
SS City of Athens | 1923  |  United Kingdom | 6,558  | Sunk U-179, 8 October, 33°40′S, 17°03′E, 1† 90 resc.
MV East Indian | 1918  |  United States | 8,159  | Sunk U-181, 3 November, 37°23′S, 13°34′E, 58† 16 resc.
SS Plaudit | 1913  |  Panama | 5,060  | Sunk U-181, 8 November, 36°00′S, 26°32′E, 3† 46 resc.
SS K.G. Meldahl | 1938  |  Norway | 3,799  | Sunk U-181, 10 November, 34°59′S, 29°45′E, 2† 31 resc.
SS Excello | 1919  |  United States | 4,969  | Sunk U-181, 13 November, 32°23′S, 30°07′E, 2† 49 resc.
SS Gunda | 1919  |  Norway | 2,241  | Sunk U-181, 19 November, 25°48′S, 33°15′E, 38† 8 resc.
SS Corinthiakos | 1910  |  Greece | 3,562  | Sunk U-181, 20 November, 25°42′S, 33°27′E, 11† 21 resc.
SS Alcoa Pathfinder | 1941  |  United States | 6,797  | Sunk U-181, 22 November, 26°45′S, 33°10′E, 6† 55 resc.
SS Mount Helmos | 1923  |  Greece | 6,481  | Sunk U-181, 24 November, 26°38′S, 34°59′E, 1† 34 resc.
SS Dorington Court | 1939  |  United Kingdom | 5,281  | Sunk U-181, 24 November, 27 00′S, 34°45′E, 4† 39 resc.
SS Evanthia | 1915  |  Greece | 3,551  | Sunk U-181, 28 November, 25°13′S, 34°00′E, all 32 resc.
SS Cleanthis | 1911  |  Greece | 4,153  | Sunk U-181, 30 November, 24°29′S, 35°44′E, 12† 22 resc.
SS Amarylis | 1918  |  Panama | 4,328  | Sunk U-181, 2 December, 28°14′S, 33°24′E, 29† 8 resc.
SS Dagomba | 1928  |  United Kingdom | 3,845  | Sunk Ammiraglio Cagni, 3 November, 02°35′S, 18°31′W, 10† 44 resc.[a]
SS Argo | 1920  |  Greece | 1,995  | Sunk Ammiraglio Cagni, 29 November, 34°45′S, 17°42′E, 18† 18 resc.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The ship was sunk in the Gulf of Guinea en route to South Africa.[28]

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ Blair 2000, p. 9.
2. ^ a b Roskill 1956, p. 269; Woodman 2005, p. 521.
3. ^ Beesly 2015, p. 158.
4. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 73, 57.
5. ^ Roskill 1956, p. 269; Beesly 2015, pp. 158–159.
6. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 72–73.
7. ^ a b Woodman 2005, p. 521.
8. ^ Behrens 1955, p. 313.
9. ^ Blair 2000, p. 72.
10. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 285, 550.
11. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 72, 57.
12. ^ a b Blair 2000, p. 73, 75; Woodman 2005, pp. 524–527.
13. ^ Woodman 2005, pp. 526–527.
14. ^ Woodman 2005, pp. 526–528.
15. ^ Woodman 2005, pp. 524–526.
16. ^ Woodman 2005, p. 523.
17. ^ Woodman 2005, p. 528.
18. ^ Woodman 2005, pp. 522–523.
19. ^ Blair 2000, p. 80.
20. ^ Woodman 2005, pp. 528, 523.
21. ^ Blair 2000, pp. 80, 77.
22. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, p. 191.
23. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 116, 132, 140, 492, 493, 514.
24. ^ Blair 2000, p. 57.
25. ^ Niestlé 2014, p. 200.
26. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 130, 492.
27. ^ Helgason 2025.
28. ^ Blair 2000, p. 77.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Beesly, Patrick (2015) [1977]. Very Special Intelligence: The Story of the Admiralty's Operational Intelligence Centre 1939–1945 (ePUB, Frontline Books (Pen & Sword) Barnsley ed.). London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-1-78-438156-1.
* Behrens, C. B. A. (1955). Hancock, K. (ed.). Merchant Shipping and the Demands of War. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Civil Series. London: HMSO. OCLC 498039 - via Archive Foundation.
* Blair, Clay (2000) [1999]. Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-35261-6.
* Helgason, Guðmundur (2025). "WWII U-boat Successes: Ships hit by U-181". U-boat.net. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
* Jordan, Roger W. (2006) [1999]. The World's Merchant Fleets 1939: The Particulars and Wartime Fates of 6,000 Ships (2nd ed.). London: Chatham/Lionel Leventhal. ISBN 978-1-86176-293-1.
* Niestlé, Axel (2014). German U-Boat Losses During World War II: Details of Destruction. Barnsley: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84832-210-3.
* Roskill, S. W. (1956). The Period of Balance. History of the Second World War: The War at Sea 1939–1945. Vol. II (3rd impr. ed.). London: HMSO. OCLC 174453986.
* Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (2005) [1972]. Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (3rd rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 978-1-86176-257-3.
* Woodman, Richard (2005) [2004]. The Real Cruel Sea: The Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic 1939–1943. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-6599-5.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Blair, Clay (1997) [1996]. Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-84076-2.
* Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System, 1939–1945: Its Organization, Defence and Operation. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-019-9.

## External links

[edit]

* Convoy SL.119 convoy.web

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U-boats

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World War II|

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Capital ships sunk|

| World War I|

* HMS Britannia
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|

World War II|

* HMS Ark Royal
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Technology|

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Concepts|

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Bases|

| World War II|

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Participants|

| Allies|

* Algeria
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|

Axis|

* Albania protectorate
* Bulgaria (until September 1944)
* Wang Jingwei regime
* Independent State of Croatia
* Finland (until September 1944)
* German Reich
* Hungary
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* French Indochina
* Iraq
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* Italian Social Republic
* Empire of Japan
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* Philippines
* Romania (until August 1944)
* Slovak Republic
* Thailand
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* Collaboration

Neutral|

* Afghanistan
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* Bhutan
* Ireland
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* Portugal
* Spain
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* Tibet
* Vatican City

Resistance|

* Albania
* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Czech lands
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* Estonia
* Ethiopia
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hong Kong
* Italy
* Japan
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POWs|

* Finnish prisoners in the Soviet Union
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Timeline|

| Prelude|

* Africa
* Second Italo-Ethiopian War
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* Battles of Khalkhin Gol
* Europe
* Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
* Anschluss
* Munich Agreement
* Occupation of Czechoslovakia
* Operation Himmler
* Italian invasion of Albania

|

1939|

* Invasion of Poland
* Battle of the Atlantic
* Phoney War
* First Battle of Changsha
* Battle of South Guangxi
* Winter War
* 1939–1940 Winter Offensive

1940|

* Norwegian campaign
* German invasion of Denmark
* Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang
* German invasion of Luxembourg
* German invasion of the Netherlands
* German invasion of Belgium
* Battle of France
* Dunkirk evacuation
* Battle of Britain
* Battle of the Mediterranean
* North Africa
* West Africa
* British Somaliland
* Hundred Regiments Offensive
* Baltic states
* Eastern Romania
* Japanese invasion of French Indochina
* Italian invasion of Greece
* Compass

1941|

* Battle of South Henan
* Battle of Shanggao
* Invasion of Yugoslavia
* German invasion of Greece
* Battle of Crete
* Anglo-Iraqi War
* Battle of South Shanxi
* Syria–Lebanon campaign
* East African campaign
* Invasion of the Soviet Union
* Summer War
* Finland (Silver Fox)
* Lithuania
* Battle of Kiev
* Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
* Second Battle of Changsha
* Siege of Leningrad
* Battle of Moscow
* Bombing of Gorky
* Siege of Sevastopol
* Attack on Pearl Harbor
* Japanese invasion of Thailand
* Fall of Hong Kong
* Fall of the Philippines
* Battle of Guam
* Battle of Wake Island
* Malayan campaign
* Battle of Borneo
* Japanese invasion of Burma
* Third Battle of Changsha
* Greek famine of 1941–1944

1942|

* Fall of Singapore
* Battle of the Java Sea
* St Nazaire Raid
* Battle of Christmas Island
* Battle of the Coral Sea
* Battle of Madagascar
* Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign
* Battle of Gazala
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* Aleutian Islands campaign
* Kiska
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* Blue
* First Battle of El Alamein
* Battle of Stalingrad
* Kokoda Track campaign
* Rzhev
* Jubilee
* Second Battle of El Alamein
* Guadalcanal campaign
* Torch
* Chinese famine of 1942–1943

1943|

* Black May
* Tunisian campaign
* Battle of West Hubei
* Battle of Attu
* Bombing of Gorky
* Battle of Kursk
* Allied invasion of Sicily
* Smolensk
* Solomon Islands campaign
* Cottage
* Battle of the Dnieper
* Allied invasion of Italy
* Armistice of Cassibile
* Burma
* Northern Burma and Western Yunnan
* Changde
* Second Battle of Kiev
* Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
* Tarawa
* Makin
* Bengal famine of 1943

1944|

* Tempest
* Monte Cassino / Anzio
* Korsun–Cherkassy
* Narva
* Ichi-Go
* Overlord
* Neptune
* Mariana and Palau
* Bagration
* Western Ukraine
* Second Battle of Guam
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* Philippines (1944–1945)
* Leyte
* Syrmian Front
* Hungary
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* Ardennes
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1945|

* Vistula–Oder
* Battle of Manila
* Battle of Iwo Jima
* Indochina
* Vienna offensive
* Project Hula
* Western invasion of Germany
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