German submarine U-183

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-183
Ordered	15 August 1940
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1023
Laid down	28 May 1941
Launched	9 January 1942
Commissioned	1 April 1942
Fate	Sunk by USS Besugo, 23 April 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC/40 submarine
Displacement	1,144 t (1,126 long tons) surfaced 1,257 t (1,237 long tons) submerged
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) o/a 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.67 m (15 ft 4 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
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range	13,850 nmi (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 63 nmi (117 km; 72 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) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 1 April – 30 September 1942 2nd U-boat Flotilla 1 October 1942 – 30 September 1944 33rd U-boat Flotilla 1 October 1944 – 23 April 1945
Identification codes:	M 44 100
Commanders:	Kptlt. Heinrich Schäfer 1 April 1942 – 19 November 1943 Kptlt. Fritz Schneewind 20 November 1943 – 23 April 1945
Operations:	6 patrols 1st patrol: 19 September – 23 December 1942 2nd patrol: 30 January – 13 May 1943 3rd patrol: a. 3 July – 30 October 1943 b. 10 – 11 November 1943 c. 28 – 30 January 1944 4th patrol: 10 February – 21 March 1944 5th patrol: a. 3 – 5 May 1944 b. 17 May – 7 July 1944 c. August 1944 d. 16 – 30 October 1944 e. 22 February – 9 March 1945 6th patrol: 21 – 23 April 1945
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk (19,260 GRT) 1 merchant ship total loss (6,993 GRT)

German submarine U-183 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. She was commissioned on 1 April 1942, one of the first IXC/40 boats, somewhat larger and faster than the IXC type. She began her service life in the 4th U-boat Flotilla, a training organization, moving on to the 2nd, then the 33rd Flotilla, both operational or front outfits.

U-183 was in the first wave of "Monsun boats" or Monsun Gruppe, which operated in the Indian Ocean from Japanese bases in the occupied Dutch East Indies and British Malaya, mostly Penang.