The U-182: the Commander and Crew
Through fortunate circumstances, I have been able to gather information on the U-182, Korvettenkapitän Nikolai Clausen, and the crew. One contact in France has been especially beneficial. This gentleman is a personal friend of Clausen's daughter. The daughter was born after Clausen's death and currently lives in Germany. Through this contact I have been provided a small glimpse into Clausen's personal life.
I have also been provided unpublished and rare images of the U-182. I have looked for images of this boat for years but have always been unsuccessful. There are no combat images as this boat was sunk while returning from its first patrol.
U-Boat Type IX-D2
Type
IX-D2: High speed and heavy armament
Typical Type IX-D2 Specifications
| Displacement: |
1,616 to 1,804 (submerged) tons |
| Dimensions: |
287.5
x 24.5 x 17.75 feet |
| Propulsion: |
4,400 hp 19.25
knots (surface) 1,000
hp 7 knots (submerged) |
| Range: |
23,700 miles at
12 knots (surface) or
57 miles at 4 knots (submerged) |
| Depth max: |
755 feet |
| Armament: | 1 x 4.1 inch
gun , 1 x 37mm and 1 x 20mm
AA gun , 6 x 21 inch torpedo tubes (4 x bow , 2 x stern) , with 24
torpedoes
or six torpedoes and 32 mines |
| Crew: |
57 |
The U-182 was a Type IX D2 U-boat. It was laid down on 7 April 1941 by AG Weser, Bremen. It was commissioned on 30 June 1942 by Kapitänleutnant Nikolai Clausen, a Knight's Cross holder.
The officers and crew of the U-182. Taken on 30 June 30 1942 at Deschimag wharf in Bremen, when U-182 was commissioned. The first of only two known photos of this boat. Clausen is on the left.
Raising the battle standard on the U-182. Taken on 30 June 30 1942 at Deschimag wharf in Bremen, when the U-182 was commissioned. The second of only two known photos.
From June to November 1942 the U-182 served as a training submarine with the 4th Flotilla. After this session the U-182 joined the 12th Flotilla (Bordeaux).
On 19 December 1942 the U-182 departed Horten, Norway for its operational area, the South Atlantic / Indian Ocean with Kapitänleutnant Nikolai Clausen as its commander.
During this patrol the U-182 sank 5 ships for a total of 30,071 tons. These ships were:
The U-182 was sunk 16 May 1943 off the island of Madeira by depth charges from the destroyer USS MacKenzie. The entire crew of 61 perished.
Westward - Ho!
Westward-ho! From the conning tower of U-129.
The ship's combat emblem was "Westward ho!" written in old German script on the front of the conning tower.
There were in total 4 U-boats with this old Viking slogan, which was also used by the pilgrim fathers and westward settlers in America.
The first one was U-37. After its first patrol, when U-37 entered Wilhelmshaven on 8 November 1939, the commander Werner Hartmann met Niko Clausen on the quay. Clausen at this time was commander of the minesweeper M-134. They had dinner together. Hartmann promised to request Clausen as watch officer on his U-boat. Upon their return to U-37, the crew had painted this slogan in black letters on the tower. Eventually, Clausen became commander of U-37.
Later, when Clausen commissioned U-129 he kept the same slogan. The image above is an unpublished photograph of this slogan on the conning tower of U-129.When Hartmann commissioned U-198 on 3 November 1942, he also chose his old slogan from U-37.
The Commander
Asmus Nikolai "Niko" Clausen
Korvettenkapitän Nikolai Clausen was a distinguished naval commander. In his career he sank 24 ships for a total of 74,807 tons, including the French U-Boat Sfax.
He was born 2 June 1911 in Flensburg, and died 16 May 1943 in the Atlantic.
4 year old "Niko" Clausen. Taken on 20 August 1915. Note that he is already wearing a navy uniform.
This photo was taken in autumn 1941. Clausen, at the time commander of U-129 was on holidays with his crew in the Austrian Alps town of Pörtschach, the god-parent town of U-129. He was then 30 years old.
Clausen's U-boat Career
Nikolai Clausen joined the Kriegsmarine in October 1929 as seaman. He sailed the next several years on torpedo boats (T-185 and G-10) and on the sailing school ship Gorch Fock.
In September 1935 he transferred to the expanding U-boat force. In April 1936, after some months training he served on U-26 under Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartmann. In March 1937 he entered the naval officer training school at Mürwik. During the next two years he served on the cruiser Admiral Graf Spee and on the mine sweeper M-134.
The U-37 (Note the "Westward Ho!" on the conning tower)
When the war broke out in autumn 1939 his old commander Werner Hartmann asked for him, so Niko Clausen became the first watch officer (I WO) on U-37. He rode 3 patrols on U-37 mostly in the Atlantic and received his Iron Cross second class personally from Karl Dönitz after the first patrol.
Clausen and the commander of the U-boat fleet, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz
(Note: This photo was used in the film "U-571" It can be seen on the wall in the Officer's Mess)
He left the U-boat in summer 1940 and commissioned in August 1940 the type IID U-boat the U-142. Only two months later he went back to U-37 and replaced the commander, Victor Oehrn. During the next three patrols Clausen sunk 12 mostly smaller ships.
One of the ships sunk by Clausen and the U-37 was the British steam merchant ship "Estrellano" travelling at the time in Convoy HG-53.
Click here to read a survivor's account of the sinking.
The first three patrols with U-129 mostly in the Atlantic ended without success but on the fourth patrol in Caribbean waters Niko Clausen sank 7 ships for a total of 25,613 tons. During this patrol he was awarded the Knight's Cross. In May 1942, after the patrol he handed over the U-boat to Hans-Ludwig Witt.
On the deck of the U-182. Taken on 30 June 30 1942 at Deschimag wharf in Bremen, when U-182 was commissioned.
Kapitänleutnant "Niko" Clausen commissioned the U-182 in June 1942. On the U-182's first and only patrol he sank 5 ships for a total of 30,071 tons.
During the return U-182 was lost with all hands on 16th May 1943, depth charged by the American destroyer USS MacKenzie.
The U-182 had been homeward bound on the surface when it was picked up by the MacKenzie's radar. The U-182 quickly submerged however could not successfully avoid the MacKenzie's sonar. The MacKenzie attacked twice, however left the area after about 90 minutes unsure as to her success. Review of German records after the war confirmed the sinking.
Nikolai Clausen's Naval Promotions
Clausen joined the Kriegsmarine in 1929 and advanced as follows:
His Decorations
Clausen's decorations included the Iron Cross 2nd class: awarded 28 February 1940; the U-boat War Badge (Ubootskriegsabzeichen): awarded 18 April 1940; the Iron Cross 1st class: awarded 10 June 1940; and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross: awarded 13 March 1942.
The following two photos were taken on 13 March 1942 on board the U-129 in the mid Atlantic. At the time the boat was returning from the Guyana coast. The Knight's Cross has been manufactured on board after receiving confirmation of the award. The on-board manufacture of a Knight's Cross was a common practice during the war. It showed the crew's respect for their captain and allowed the officer to enjoy the award prior to arrival at port.
Clausen
was the 103rd member of the Kriegsmarine and the 46th member of the
U-Boat forces to receive the Knight's Cross.
Click
here to see Niko Clausen's Wehrpass
The Crew
These two photos were taken in June 1942, when the U-182 was commissioned. Notables of the town of Bremen gave a reception to the crew as they did for each boat taken over at Deschimag wharf.
Clausen is sitting in the center row. The young lady from the first row would three months later become Frau Clausen.
Clausen is sitting in the middle.
The Deceased Crewman and Prisoners
All 61 crewmen perished on the U-182. They are:
Rank, Name, Date of birth
In addition to the crewmen, prisoners were on board the U-182 at the time it was lost: 2 captains and at least 1 engineer. There was a directive to reduce the number of qualified enemy captains by retaining the officers and especially the commanders of ships sunk.
Captain Angus MacLennan from the British steamer "Aloe" (sunk on 5 April 1943) and the captain from the Greek steamer "Adelfotis" (sunk on 1 May 1943) were on board.
Captain Angus MacLennan
Here is a photo of Captain Angus MacLennan of the steamer "Aloe" which was sunk on 5 April 1943. This photo was provided by great-niece Audrey Paterson who wrote to me after finding this site.
Audrey writes:
"My great uncle Angus MacLennan was Master of the 'Aloe' and a crewman later wrote to the family to tell them that when she was sunk by U182, the Master and First Engineer of the 'Aloe' were taken aboard the U-boat and the rest of the crew took to the lifeboats - they were subsequently rescued by allied shipping."
"Angus had married a Miss MacKenzie in South Africa in his 50s but unfortunately, she died in childbirth along with her baby daughter. His family had come from the island of Fladda, off Raasay, and he was a native speaker of Scottish Gaelic. His father, Norman MacLennan, was also a merchant seaman and spent a considerable part of his life as a yachtsman for the families who owned Raasay House. Angus apparently began his seafaring career working with his father."
One of my correspondents obtained a copy of the
U-182's war diary, as written by the German operations staff.
According to these records, the "Aloe" was carrying a cargo of wheat
(5000 tons), wood (5000 tons), lead (350 tons) and mail.
Epilogue
Conflicts such as the one between the USS MacKenzie and the U-182 occurred many, many times during the war.
The purpose of this web page is not to glorify the men of the U-182, nor to vilify them. The men of the MacKenzie and the men of the U-182 were performing their duty to the best of their ability. Fortunately the MacKenzie prevailed, unfortunately with the loss of good fighting men on the U-182. But then that's the nature of war.
I hope you have enjoyed viewing this information.
And when at length her course is run,
Her work for home and country done,
Of all the souls that in her sailed
Let not one life in Thee have failed;
But hear from heaven our sailor’s cry,
And grant eternal life on high!
See
Letters from Kriegsmarine Flotilla Command to a U-Boat Crewman's Family
Return
to the USS MacKenzie Page