German submarine U - 160 ( 1941 ) German submarine " U - 160 " was a Type IXC U - boat of the Nazi German " Kriegsmarine " built for service during World War II . The keel for this boat was laid down on 21 November 1940 at the AG Weser yard in Bremen , Germany as ' werk ' 1010 . She was launched on 12 July 1941 and commissioned on 16 October under the command of " Kapitänleutnant " Georg Lassen ( Knight ' s Cross ) . The U - boat ' s service began in training with the 4th U - boat Flotilla . She lost seven men and one was injured in a fire on 14 December 1941 at Danzig ( now Gdansk ) . She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 March 1942 for operations . She sank 26 ships , totalling 156 , 082 tons and damaged five more , for 34 , 419 tons . She was sunk by American carrier - borne aircraft in July 1943 . Operational career . Before starting on her first patrol , " U - 160 " made a brief journey from Wilhelmshaven to Helgoland on 24 February 1942 . 1st and 2nd patrols . She departed the German island on 1 March 1942 , crossed the North Sea entered the Atlantic Ocean via the Faroe / Shetland gap and headed for the US east coast . Her first victim was the " Equipoise " , sunk on 27 March 1942 southeast of Cape Henry , Virginia . The confusion of the sinking was not helped by there being nationals from at least ten countries among the crew . The boat went on to successfully attack the " City of New York " , the " Rio Blanco " and the " Ulysses " . One ship that did not sink was the " Bidwell " ; indeed , she survived the war , not being broken up until 1965 . " U - 160 " s second foray saw the boat leave Lorient on 20 June 1942 . She crossed the Atlantic again but made for the northern coast of South America . The pickings were just as rich here as they had been further north . Sinking the " Beaconlight " , the " Carmona " and the " Treminnard " , who were all sailing without an escort , was accomplished within of Trinidad . She also damaged the " Thorshavet " , an 11 , 000 tonner , with torpedo and gun on 4 August 1942 . The drifting wreck was subsequently sunk by the Italian submarine " Enrico Tazzoli " on 6 August . " U - 160 " returned to Lorient on the 24th . 3rd patrol . It was during her third patrol that the boat almost came to grief . She was attacked by the escorts of a convoy on 16 October 1942 . ; but the damage was slight . The submarine returned to her former hunting grounds off South America and sank the " Gypsum Express " and the " Leda " to name but two . 4th patrol . Her fourth sortie was her longest , at 125 days , but also her most successful . Moving into the south Atlantic , she sank the " Roger B . Taney " on 8 February . She then attacked and sank the " Nipura " , the " Empire Mahseer " and the " Marietta E . " east of South Africa . Also lost with the " Marietta E . " were eight landing craft . Other ships were also sunk . When the submariners questioned the survivors of the " Aelbryn " , they misunderstood the ship ' s name , reporting it as the " Arian " , an American vessel . 5th patrol and loss . By now she was based in Bordeaux , from which she departed on 29 June 1943 . She was sunk by TBM Avenger and F4F Wildcat aircraft from the carrier USS " Santee " south of the Azores on 14 July 1943 .