German submarine U-174

History
Name	U-174
Ordered	23 December 1939
Builder	AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1014
Laid down	2 January 1941
Launched	21 August 1941
Commissioned	26 November 1941
Fate	Sunk, 16 November 1942
General characteristics
Type	Type IXC submarine
Displacement	list error: <br /> list (help); 1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced; 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length	list error: <br /> list (help); 76.8 m (252 ft 0 in) overall; 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Beam	list error: <br /> list (help); 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in) overall; 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draft	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	list error: <br /> list (help); 2 × MAN M9V40/46 supercharged 9-cylinder diesel engines, 4,000 hp (2,983 kW); 2 × SSW GU345/34 double-acting electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed	list error: <br /> list (help); 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h) surfaced; 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h) submerged
Range	list error: <br /> list (help); 24,880 nmi (46,080 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced; 117 nmi (217 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	48 to 56
Armament	list error: <br /> list (help); 6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern); 22 × 55 cm (22 in) torpedoes; 1 × 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun (110 rounds)
Service record
Part of:	list error: <br /> list (help); 4th U-boat Flotilla; (26 November 1941–31 July 1942); 10th U-boat Flotilla; (1 August–27 April 1943)
Commanders:	list error: <br /> list (help); Fregkpt. Ulrich Thilo; (26 November 1941–8 March 1943); Oblt. Wolfgang Grandefeld; (9 March–27 April 1943)
Operations:	Three
Victories:	Five ships sunk, of (30,813 GRT GRT uses unsupported parameter (help))

German submarine U-174 was a Type IXC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She was laid down at the AG Weser yard in Bremen as 'werk' 1014 on 2 January 1941, launched on 21 August and commissioned on 26 November with Fregattenkapitän Ulrich Thilo in command.

U-173 began her service career with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She was re-assigned to the 10th flotilla for operations on 1 August 1942.

She was sunk by an American aircraft in April 1943.

Operational career

1st patrol

The boat departed Kiel on 30 July 1942, moved through the North Sea and negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She encountered, in mid-Atlantic Ocean, the corvette HNoMS Potentilla. The Norwegian ship attacked; at one point, she was so close that a depth charge projected towards the U-boat, fell on the far side of the German vessel. The submarine escaped; nevertheless, the damage inflicted was sufficient to cause U-174 to leave a tell-tale trail of oil, thus obliging Thilo to abort the patrol. She entered Lorient, on the French Atlantic coast, on 6 September.

2nd patrol

For her second sortie, she sailed to the waters off Brazil. There she sank four ships between 31 October and 2 November 1942. She sank a fifth vessel on 15 December but was twice unsuccessfully attacked by American Catalina aircraft on the same day. She returned to Lorient on 9 January 1943.

3rd patrol and loss

U-174 had departed her French base on 18 March 1943, bound for the eastern seaboard of North America. On 27 April, she was attacked and sunk by an American Lockheed Ventura aircraft southwest of Newfoundland. Fifty-three men died; there were no survivors.^[3]^[4]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[5]
31 October 1942	Marlyn	United Kingdom	4,555	Sunk
1 November 1942	Elmdale	United Kingdom	4,872	Sunk
2 November 1942	Zaandam	Netherlands	10,909	Sunk
2 November 1942	Besholt	Norway	4,977	Sunk
15 December 1942	Alcoa Rambler	USA	5,500	Sunk

References

Notes

^ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 111
^ Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp.248 and 249
^ Kemp, p. 111.
^ http://uboat.net/boats/u174/htm
^ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u174/html

External links

Uboat.net: U-174

[1] Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1997, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 111

[2] Campbell, John Naval Weapons of World War Two ISBN 0-87021-459-4 pp.248 and 249

[3] Kemp, p. 111.

[4] ttp://uboat.net/boats/u174/htm

[5] ttp://uboat.net/boats/successes/u174/html

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v t e German Type IXC submarine
U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524
Preceded by: Type IXB Followed by: Type IXC/40
List of U-boats of Germany