U-Boat Operations

Operations information for U-123

21.09.1940 - 23.10.1940
First Sailing - active patrol
U-123 left Kiel under the command of Karl-Heinz Moehle on 21st Sep 1940 for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 23rd Oct 1940 after four and a half weeks.
Karl-Heinz Moehle hit six ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy: One was from convoy OB-221, one was from convoy SC-6 and four were from convoy SC-7.

On 6th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,943 ton Benlawers, sailing with convoy OB-221.
On 10th Oct 1940 he sank the British 3,697 ton Graigwen, a member of convoy SC-6.
On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the Dutch 2,118 ton Boekelo, part of convoy SC-7.
On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the British 3,106 ton Clintonia, from convoy SC-7.
On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,458 ton Shekatika, sailing with convoy SC-7.
On 19th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,556 ton Sedgepool, a member of convoy SC-7.

U-123 also performed weather reporting duties on this patrol.

14.11.1940 - 28.11.1940
Second Sailing - active patrol
On the 14th Nov 1940, U-123 left Lorient under the command of Karl-Heinz Moehle for operations W of England and after two weeks arrived at return on 28th Nov 1940.
Karl-Heinz Moehle hit five ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy: four were from convoy OB-244 and one was from convoy SL-53.

On 22nd Nov 1940 he sank the British 4,791 ton Cree, part of convoy SL-53.
On 23rd Nov 1940 he sank the British 5,115 ton King Idwal, from convoy OB-244.
On 23rd Nov 1940 he sank the Swedish 5,135 ton Anten, sailing with convoy OB-244.
On 23rd Nov 1940 he sank the British 5,228 ton Tymeric, a member of convoy OB-244.
On 23rd Nov 1940 he sank the British 5,407 ton Oakcrest, part of convoy OB-244.

You can find more about convoy OB-244 at the warsailors.com page on convoy OB-244. On the 17th November U-123 lost one man overboard.

14.01.1941 - 28.02.1941
Third Sailing - active patrol
U-123 departed under Karl-Heinz Moehle from Lorient on 14th Jan 1941 for operations W of England and arrived at return on 28th Feb 1941 after six and a half weeks.
Karl-Heinz Moehle hit four ships on this patrol, two of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy SC-20 and one was from convoy SC-21.

On 24th Jan 1941 he sank the Norwegian 1,570 ton Vespasian.
On 4th Feb 1941 he sank the British 5,358 ton Empire Engineer, from convoy SC-20.
On 15th Feb 1941 he sank the British 6,573 ton Alnmoor, sailing with convoy SC-21.
On 24th Feb 1941 he sank the Dutch 8,685 ton Grootekerk.

You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com.
Click the link for more information on Vespasian.

10.04.1941 - 11.05.1941
Fourth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 left Lorient under the command of Karl-Heinz Moehle on 10th Apr 1941 for operations W of Ireland and after four and a half weeks arrived at return on 11th May 1941.
Karl-Heinz Moehle hit one ship on this patrol.

On 17th Apr 1941 he sank the Swedish 6,991 ton Venezuela.

08.06.1941 - 12.06.1941
Fifth Sailing
On the 8th Jun 1941, U-123 left Lorient under the command of Reinhard Hardegen and arrived at return on 12th Jun 1941 after four days.

15.06.1941 - 23.08.1941
Sixth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 departed under Reinhard Hardegen from Lorient on 15th Jun 1941 for operations in the Central Atlantic and after nearly ten weeks arrived at return on 23rd Aug 1941.
Reinhard Hardegen hit five ships on this patrol, four of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy OB-337 and three were from convoy SL-78.

On 20th Jun 1941 he sank the Portugese 4,333 ton Ganda.
On 27th Jun 1941 he sank the Dutch 1,996 ton Oberon, a member of convoy SL-78.
On 27th Jun 1941 he sank the British 5,646 ton PLM 22, part of convoy SL-78.
On 29th Jun 1941 he sank the British 4,088 ton Rio Azul, from convoy SL-78.
On 4th Jul 1941 he sank the British 5,444 ton Auditor, sailing with convoy OB-337.

14.10.1941 - 22.11.1941
Seventh Sailing - active patrol
U-123 left Lorient under the command of Reinhard Hardegen on 14th Oct 1941 for operations W of Ireland and arrived at return on 22nd Nov 1941 after five and a half weeks.
Reinhard Hardegen hit one ship on this patrol from convoy SL-89.

On 21st Oct 1941 he damaged the British 13,984 ton HMS Aurania, a member of convoy SL-89.

23.12.1941 - 09.02.1942
Eighth Sailing - active patrol
On the 23rd Dec 1941, U-123 left Lorient under the command of Reinhard Hardegen for operations off the US East coast and after nearly seven weeks arrived at return on 9th Feb 1942.
Reinhard Hardegen hit ten ships on this patrol, one was from convoy ON-53.

On 12th Jan 1942 he sank the British 9,076 ton Cyclops.
On 14th Jan 1942 he sank the Panamanian 9,577 ton Norness.
On 15th Jan 1942 he sank the British 6,768 ton Coimbra.
On 17th Jan 1942 he sank the American 3,358 ton San Jose.
On 19th Jan 1942 he damaged the American 8,206 ton Malay.
On 19th Jan 1942 he sank the American 5,269 ton City of Atlanta.
On 19th Jan 1942 he sank the 3,779 ton Ciltvaira.
On 19th Jan 1942 he sank the American 2,677 ton Norvana.
On 25th Jan 1942 he sank the British 3,044 ton Culebra, part of convoy ON-53.
On 26th Jan 1942 he sank the Norwegian 9,231 ton Pan Norway.

This patrol was made as part of Paukenschlag, Operation Drumbeat. Cyclops was the first ship to be sunk in US waters after Pearl Harbor.You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com.
Click the link for more information on Pan Norway.

02.03.1942 - 02.05.1942
Ninth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 departed under Reinhard Hardegen from Lorient on 2nd Mar 1942 for operations off the US East coast and arrived at return on 2nd May 1942 after more than eight weeks.
Reinhard Hardegen hit eleven ships on this patrol.

On 22nd Mar 1942 he sank the American 7,034 ton Muskogee.
On 24th Mar 1942 he sank the British 8,138 ton Empire Steel.
On 27th Mar 1942 he sank the American 3,209 ton USS Atik.
On 2nd Apr 1942 he damaged the American 7,057 ton Liebre.
On 8th Apr 1942 he damaged the American 9,264 ton Oklahoma.
On 8th Apr 1942 he damaged the American 7,989 ton Esso Baton Rouge.
On 9th Apr 1942 he sank the American 3,365 ton Esparta.
On 11th Apr 1942 he sank the American 8,081 ton Gulfamerica.
On 13th Apr 1942 he sank the American 2,609 ton Leslie.
On 13th Apr 1942 he sank the Swedish 2,647 ton Korsholm.
On 17th Apr 1942 he sank the American 4,834 ton Alcoa Guide.

U-123 had one crewman killed during an artillery exchange with the USN 'Q-Ship' Atik.

16.05.1942 - 24.05.1942
Tenth Sailing
U-123 left Lorient under the command of Reinhard Hardegen on 16th May 1942 and after just over one week arrived at return on 24th May 1942.

25.05.1942 - 26.05.1942
Eleventh Sailing
On the 25th May 1942, U-123 left Bergen under the command of Reinhard Hardegen and arrived at return on 26th May 1942 after one day.

26.05.1942 - 27.05.1942
Twelfth Sailing
U-123 departed under Reinhard Hardegen from Kristiansand on 26th May 1942 and after one day arrived at return on 27th May 1942.

28.05.1942 - 29.05.1942
Thirteenth Sailing
U-123 left Aarhus under the command of Reinhard Hardegen on 28th May 1942 and arrived at return on 29th May 1942 after one day.

03.06.1942 - 05.06.1942
Fourteenth Sailing
On the 3rd Jun 1942, U-123 left Kiel under the command of Reinhard Hardegen and after two days arrived at return on 5th Jun 1942.
Before her next patrol U-123 underwent repair and refitting.

05.12.1942 - 06.02.1943
Fifteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 departed under Horst von Schroeter from Kiel on 5th Dec 1942 for operations in the Central Atlantic and arrived at return on 6th Feb 1943 after nine weeks.
Horst von Schroeter hit two ships on this patrol and both of them were in convoy, both of them were from convoy ONS-154.

On 29th Dec 1942 he sank the British 3,385 ton Baron Cochrane, from convoy ONS-154.
On 29th Dec 1942 he damaged the British 7,068 ton Empire Shackleton, sailing with convoy ONS-154.

In January U-123 refuelled from U-463 and after that from U-117.

13.03.1943 - 08.06.1943
Sixteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 left Lorient under the command of Horst von Schroeter on 13th Mar 1943 for operations in the Central Atlantic and after twelve and a half weeks arrived at return on 8th Jun 1943.
At 1717 HRS on 29th Mar 1943 in square DU 46, U-123 came under attack from an unidentified aircraft. U-123 was only slightly damaged in the attack.
On 1st Apr 1943 U-123 came under attack from an unidentified aircraft. U-123 was moderately damaged by the attack.
Horst von Schroeter hit six ships on this patrol, one was from convoy TS-38.

On 8th Apr 1943 he sank the Spanish 3,972 ton Castillo Montealegre.
On 18th Apr 1943 he sank the British 683 ton HMS P615.
On 18th Apr 1943 he sank the British 7,459 ton Empire Bruce.
On 29th Apr 1943 he sank the Swedish 5,931 ton Nanking.
On 5th May 1943 he sank the British 4,566 ton Holmbury.
On 9th May 1943 he sank the British 6,244 ton Kanbe, a member of convoy TS-38.

On 20th May U-123 was refuelled by U-460 W of Freetown.

01.08.1943 - 05.08.1943
Seventeenth Sailing
On the 1st Aug 1943, U-123 left Lorient under the command of Horst von Schroeter and arrived at return on 5th Aug 1943 after four days.

16.08.1943 - 07.11.1943
Eighteenth Sailing - active patrol
U-123 departed under Horst von Schroeter from Lorient on 16th Aug 1943 for operations in the West Atlantic and after nearly twelve weeks arrived at return on 7th Nov 1943.

Air Attacks this patrol

On 7th November U-123 was attacked by a Mosquito of 248 SQN (FO A J L Bonnett). 1 crewman was killed and 2 others injured in the attack.

29.12.1943 - 30.12.1943
Nineteenth Sailing
U-123 left Lorient under the command of Horst von Schroeter on 29th Dec 1943 and arrived at return on 30th Dec 1943 after one day.

09.01.1944 - 24.04.1944
Twentieth Sailing - active patrol
On the 9th Jan 1944, U-123 left Lorient under the command of Horst von Schroeter for operations W of Africa and after just over fifteen weeks arrived at return on 24th Apr 1944.In mid March U-123 was refuelled by U-488 NW of Cape Verde Islands.

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