Unterseeboot 123
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Unterseeboot 123 (U-123) has been the designation of two submarines of the German Navy.
The first U-123 was a Type UE 2 U-boat of the Kaiserliche Marine ordered from Blohm + Voss of Hamburg on 27 May 1916. She was launched on 26 January 1918 and commissioned on 20 July 1918, under the command of Karl Thouret. She had no chance to conduct any war patrols before Germany surrendered. She ran aground on the English east coast on the way to be broken up in 1921.
During World War II, U-123 was a Type IXB U-boat of the Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down 15 April 1939 by AG Weser of Bremen. She was launched on 2 March 1940 and commissioned on 30 May 1940, with Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Moehle in command. Moehle was relieved on 19 May 1941 by Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen, who was relieved in turn on [[1 August] 1942 by Oberleutnant zur See Horst von Schroeter. Schroeter commanded until the boat was lost.
U-123 conducted 12 war patrols, sinking 45 ships totalling 227,174 tons and damaging six others totalling 53,568 tons.
On 17 November 1940 Mechanikergefreiter Fritz Pfeifer was lost overboard.
U-123 took part in the opening of the Paukenschlag (Operation Drumbeat) in January 1942 and completed two very successful patrols off the US east coast. On 27 March 1942 the Q-ship Atik (Carolyn) and U-123 had a gunnery duel off the US east coast. Fähnrich zur See Rudi Holzer from U-123 was fatally wounded in the action and died a few hours later. Atik was destroyed with all hands.
On 7 November 1943 U-123 was attacked by a Mosquito aircraft from RAF 618 Squadron, suffering one dead and two wounded.
On 17 June 1944 U-123 was taken out of service at Lorient, France, and scuttled there on 19 August 1944. She was raised by France in 1945 after Germany's surrender, and became the French submarine Blaison. When France decommissioned her on 18 August 1959, she was known as Q165.
See Also: List of U-boats