Uboat-b118

The boat is credited with sinking three merchant ships (totaling over 14,000 GRT) and damaging the British corvette HMS Sunflower .

Two diesel engines and two electric motors, allowing for a surfaced speed of roughly 17 knots. Operational History uboat-b118

Of the crew, 16 men survived the initial explosion and were rescued by the escorting destroyer USS Osmond Ingram . They were subsequently taken as prisoners of war. Historical Significance The boat is credited with sinking three merchant

The Type XB was the largest class of German U-boats, designed primarily as ocean-going minelayers. They were subsequently taken as prisoners of war

Equipped with 66 SMA mines, two stern torpedo tubes, and a 10.5 cm deck gun.

U-118 served with the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training before moving to the 10th Flotilla for active duty in late 1942. Its career was relatively brief, consisting of only four patrols.

U-118 remains a primary example used by naval historians to illustrate the effectiveness of Allied "Hunter-Killer" groups. The combination of carrier-based aviation and surface escorts fundamentally shifted the Battle of the Atlantic, making large, slow minelayers like the Type XB extremely vulnerable.