Wreck of U-128

 Second World War 1939-1945, shipwreck, submarine

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Unterseeboot 128 was a Type IXC U-boat laid down at the AG Weser Shipyard in Bremen in July 1940 and commissioned into Kriegsmarine service in May 1941. After spending her six months of service with the 2nd Training Flotilla, the U-128 and her crew reported to Kristiansand for their first war patrol which she commenced on December 1941.

Under the command of Kptlt. Ulrich Heyse, the U-128 quickly amassed an impressive war record of Allied shipping sunk, with 12 ships totaling of 83,639GRT to her credit by the completion of her 5th War Patrol. Kptlt. Heyse regularly took his U-boat across the Atlantic, where he found rich hunting off the Florida Coast, West Indies and Brazil. At the completion of her fifth patrol, the U-128 received a new commanding officer as Kptlt. Heyse was assigned to a shore post to instruct future U-boat commanders on battle tactics. After replenishment and voyage preparations at the U-boat pens in Lorient, the U-128 and her new CO Oblt. Hermann Steinert departed on her sixth war patrol on April 6th, 1943 bound for the Brazilian coast. After a month long crossing of the Atlantic, the U-128 began her run down the Brazilian coast in early May searching for Allied merchant or warships to attack, but found little or no sign of her quarry.

Running on the surface well offshore of Bahia on May 16th, the U-128 was spotted by patrolling American PBM Mariner's and attacked before she could dive. Fortunately for the U-128, all 12 bombs dropped by the American aircraft fell wide and she was able to escape the area with no damage, however reports of a confirmed German Submarine in the area brought increased air and sea patrols to the area, all hunting for U-128.

Surfacing the following day after a nightlong run to the North, the U-128's crews maintained a wary eye for aircraft and ships as their sub recharged her batteries and didn’t have to wait long before the first of two Martin PBM's were sighted on the horizon closing on her position. Crash-diving to elude the aircraft, the U-128 was going deep when the first spread of depth charges rained down onto their sub and detonated close alongside, damaging her. The second plane had similar luck and it's depth charges and after their detonations opened up seams in the U-128's hull, Oblt. Steinert ordered the boat surfaced.

As the U-128 broke through the Atlantic at 1246hrs she was greeted by the Destroyers USS Jouett (DD-396) and USS Moffett (DD-362) which promptly began shelling the sub with their 5-inch deck guns. Taking considerable damage from the gunfire and already at risk of sinking from the depth charging, the U-128 was ordered abandoned and her scuttling charges were armed. As her crew spilled into the Atlantic the US ships ceased fire, allowing all but seven of the U-128's crew to safely evacuate their battered sub before she sank at this location on May 17th, 1943.

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