U-Boat Operations

Operations information for U-161
03.01.1942 - 15.01.1942 First Sailing - active patrol U-161 left Kiel under the command of Albrecht Achilles on 3rd Jan 1942 and arrived at Lorient on 15th Jan 1942 after more than one week.
24.01.1942 - 02.04.1942 Second Sailing - active patrol On the 24th Jan 1942, U-161 left Lorient under the command of Albrecht Achilles and returned to Lorient on 2nd Apr 1942 after more than nine weeks on patrol. Albrecht Achilles hit nine ships on this patrol, one was from convoy ON-60. On 19th Feb 1942 he damaged the British 6,940 ton British Consul. On 19th Feb 1942 he damaged the American 7,460 ton Mokihana. On 21st Feb 1942 he sank the British 8,207 ton Circe Shell, sailing with convoy ON-60. On 23rd Feb 1942 he sank the American 7,001 ton Lihue. On 7th Mar 1942 he sank the 9,755 ton Uniwaleco. On 10th Mar 1942 he damaged the Canadian 7,970 ton Lady Nelson. On 10th Mar 1942 he damaged the British 8,141 ton Umtata. On 14th Mar 1942 he sank the Canadian 1,940 ton Sarniadoc. On 15th Mar 1942 he sank the American 1,130 ton USS Acacia.
28.04.1942 - 07.08.1942 Third Sailing - active patrol U-161 departed under Albrecht Achilles from Lorient on 28th Apr 1942 and arrived back at Lorient on 7th Aug 1942 after fourteen and a half weeks on patrol. Albrecht Achilles hit three ships on this patrol, one was from convoy AS-4. On 16th Jun 1942 he sank the 30 ton Nueva Alta Gracia. On 3rd Jul 1942 he fatally damaged the Panamanian 3,305 ton San Pablo. On 16th Jul 1942 he sank the American 6,165 ton Fairport, a member of convoy AS-4.
19.09.1942 - 09.01.1943 Fourth Sailing - active patrol U-161 left Lorient under the command of Albrecht Achilles on 19th Sep 1942 and returned sixteen weeks later to Lorient on 9th Jan 1943. Albrecht Achilles hit five ships on this patrol. On 23rd Oct 1942 he damaged the British 5,450 ton HMS Phoebe. On 8th Nov 1942 he damaged the British 5,161 ton Benalder. On 8th Nov 1942 he sank the American 5,527 ton West Humhaw. On 29th Nov 1942 he sank the Dutch 5,760 ton Tjileboet. On 12th Dec 1942 he sank the British 4,997 ton Ripley.
13.03.1943 - 07.06.1943 Fifth Sailing - active patrol On the 13th Mar 1943, U-161 left Lorient under the command of Albrecht Achilles and arrived back at Lorient over twelve weeks later on 7th Jun 1943. On 12th Apr 1943 U-161 came under attack from an unidentified aircraft. U-161 was not damaged by the attack. Albrecht Achilles hit one ship on this patrol. On 19th May 1943 he sank the Canadian 255 ton Angelus.
08.08.1943 - 27.09.1943 Sixth Sailing - active patrol U-161 departed under Albrecht Achilles from Lorient on 8th Aug 1943. U-161 was sunk on 27th Sep 1943. Albrecht Achilles hit three ships on this patrol. On 20th Sep 1943 he sank the British 5,472 ton St Usk. On 26th Sep 1943 he sank the Brazilian 300 ton Cisne Branco. On 26th Sep 1943 he sank the Brazilian 4,998 ton Itapagé. Regarding Cisne Branco, thanks to Christine Hillmann who writes: "História Naval Brasileira" said that the vessel, loaded with salt, sunk after collision with another motor-vessel called Aracati. The authors gave as their source the lawsuit about Cisne Branco, Tribunal Marítimo Rio de Janeiro, Archive no. 871. Source: História Naval Brasileira, Vol. V, Tomo II, Serviço de Documentação da Marinha, Rio de Janeiro, 1985, page 356 I know some sources always considered it doubtful that U 161 sank this vessel. Considering that U 161 sank the Brazilian Itapagé on September 29 at 10.10S, 35.45W, and was herself lost the following day in 12.30S, 35.35W, I think that the U-boat probably continued her patrol in a southerly direction.

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