German submarine U-181

History
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-181
Ordered:	15 August 1940
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1021
Laid down:	15 March 1941
Launched:	30 December 1941
Commissioned:	9 May 1942
Fate:	Taken over by Japan, May 1945
Japan
Name:	I-501
Acquired:	May 1945
Commissioned:	15 July 1945
Fate:	Surrendered, August 1945 Scuttled, 12 February 1946
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:	1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged
Length:	87.58 m (287 ft 4 in) o/a 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.35 m (17 ft 7 in)
Installed power:	9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	Calculated crush depth: 230 m (754 ft 7 in)
Boats & landing craft carried:	2 dinghies
Complement:	4-7 officers, 51-57 enlisted
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 24 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun (150 rounds) anti-aircraft guns
Service record (Kriegsmarine)
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 9 May – 30 September 1942 10th U-boat Flotilla 1–31 October 1942 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 November 1942 – 30 September 1944 33rd U-boat Flotilla 1 October 1944 – 8 May 1945
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Wolfgang Lüth 9 May 1942 – 31 October 1943 F.Kapt. Kurt Freiwald 1 November 1943 – 8 May 1945
Operations:	Four patrols 1st patrol: 12 September 1942 – 18 January 1943 2nd patrol: 23 March – 14 October 1943 3rd patrol: 16 March – 8 August 1944 4th patrol: 19 October 1944 – 5 January 1945
Victories:	27 commercial ships sunk (138,779 GRT)

German submarine U-181 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 15 March 1941 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard at Bremen as yard number 1021. She was launched on 30 December 1941 and commissioned on 9 May 1942 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Lüth. After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla at Stettin, U-181 was attached to the 10th flotilla for front-line service on 1 October 1942, then transferred to the 12th flotilla on 1 November.

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-181 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).

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