German submarine U-123 (1940)

U-123 at Lorient in February 1942
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-123
Ordered:	15 December 1937
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	955
Laid down:	15 April 1939
Launched:	2 March 1940
Commissioned:	30 May 1940
Decommissioned:	17 June 1944
Fate:	Scuttled at Lorient, France in August 1944
France
Name:	Blaison
Acquired:	1945
Decommissioned:	18 August 1959
General characteristics
Class and type:	German Type IXB submarine
Displacement:	1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) surfaced 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) submerged
Length:	76.50 m (251 ft) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught:	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors double-acting electric motors, 1,000 PS (990 shp; 740 kW)
Range:	12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi)at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 2nd U-boat Flotilla (Training) 2nd U-boat Flotilla (Front or operational boat) 2nd U-boat Flotilla (Operational training boat)
Identification codes:	M 08 800
Commanders:	Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen Oblt.z.S. Horst von Schroeter
Operations:	12 patrols 1st patrol: 21 September – 23 October 1940 2nd patrol: 14–28 November 1940 3rd patrol: 14 January – 28 February 1941 4th patrol: 10 April – 11 May 1941 5th patrol: 15 June – 23 August 1941 6th patrol: 14 October – 22 November 1941 7th patrol: 23 December 1941 – 9 February 1942 8th patrol: 2 March – 2 May 1942 9th patrol: 5 December 1942 – 6 February 1943 10th patrol: 13 March – 8 June 1943 11th patrol: 16 August 1943 – 7 November 1943 12th patrol: 9 January – 24 April 1944
Victories:	42 ships sunk for a total of 219,924 GRT one auxiliary warship sunk of 3,209 GRT one warship sunk of 683 tons five ships damaged for a total of 39,584 GRT one auxiliary warship damaged for 13,984 GRT

German submarine U-123 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. After that conflict, she became the French submarine Blaison (Q165) until she was decommissioned on 18 August 1959.

U-123 was laid down on 15 April 1939 at the AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 955. She was launched on 2 March 1940 and commissioned on 30 May, with Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Moehle (Crew 30) in command. He was relieved on 19 May 1941 by Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen (Crew 33), who was relieved in turn on 1 August 1942 by his watch officer, Oberleutnant zur See Horst von Schroeter (Crew 37b). He remained in command until the boat was decommissioned in 1944.

German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-123 had a displacement of 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) when at the surface and 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).