Service History
Under Lüth's command she sailed on two long combat patrols in late–1942 and 1943, haunting the waters off South Africa and Mozambique and sinking 22 ships for a total of 103,712 tons, making Lüth the second most successful U-boat commander of the war (after Otto Kretschmer) and earning him promotion to Korvettenkapitän and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. He went on to command 22nd U-boat Flotilla.
On 1 November 1943 under the command of Fregattenkapitän Kurt Freiwald and part of 12th U-boat Flotilla, U-181 sailed from her base in Bordeaux to Penang in mid–1944, sinking four ships totalling 24,869 tons. On 1 October 1944 the U-boat was transferred to 33rd U-boat Flotilla. She made only one patrol in the Indian Ocean, in 1944–1945, sinking a single ship of 10,198 tons.
After Germany's surrender in May 1945 the U-boat was taken over by Japan at Singapore and commissioned as Japanese submarine I-501 on 15 July 1945. She was surrendered to Allied forces there in August 1945, and was sunk on 12 February 1946 in the Strait of Malacca, in position 03°05′50″N 100°41′50″E / 3.09722°N 100.69722°E / 3.09722; 100.69722Coordinates: 03°05′50″N 100°41′50″E / 3.09722°N 100.69722°E / 3.09722; 100.69722, by the British frigates HMS Loch Glendhu and HMS Loch Lomond.
Read more about this topic: German Submarine U-181
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