The Ghost of U-166 :Hitler's Lost Weapon

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The Sinking of U-166 (1942): A WWII Naval Mystery
On July 30, 1942, German submarine U-166, a Type IXC U-boat, patrolled the waters of the Gulf of Mexico as part of Germany’s campaign to disrupt Allied supply routes. Under the command of Captain Hans-Günther Kuhlmann, U-166 had been tasked with targeting merchant vessels transporting vital resources to support the Allied war effort.
That day, U-166 intercepted the passenger steamer SS Robert E. Lee, which was carrying nearly 400 passengers and crew near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Despite being escorted by the U.S. Navy patrol craft PC-566, the U-boat managed to fire a torpedo, striking the ship and causing it to sink rapidly. Tragically, 25 lives were lost in the attack.
However, the incident didn’t end there. PC-566, commanded by Lt. Commander Herbert G. Claudius, immediately counterattacked. Using sonar, the patrol craft detected U-166’s location and launched a series of depth charges. The explosions rocked the waters, and the submarine disappeared beneath the surface.
For decades, the fate of U-166 remained a mystery. Naval records initially attributed its loss to an airstrike days after the attack. But in 2001, a stunning discovery revealed the truth: a routine pipeline survey uncovered the wrecks of both U-166 and the SS Robert E. Lee lying just 5,000 feet apart. This confirmed that PC-566’s depth charges had successfully sunk the U-boat, marking it as one of the few confirmed U-boat kills by a U.S. Navy patrol craft.
Today, the wreck of U-166 rests as a protected war grave, a haunting reminder of the lives lost and the fierce battles fought in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II.
Fact-Checked Note:
The discovery of U-166 was made in 2001 during a pipeline survey conducted by BP and Shell. Research confirmed that the submarine was sunk by depth charges from PC-566 on July 30, 1942.
Sources:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
C&C Technologies Survey Reports

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Such a tragedy 😢