Action of 6 October 1944
Encyclopedia
The Action of 6 October 1944 was an incident of World War II
in which a German
U-boat
was sunk by a Dutch
submarine
while operating in the Java Sea
. The sinking was part of the German U-boat campaign in the Indian
and Pacific Ocean
s.
, but before meeting the other U-boats, U-168 was discovered on the surface by the T-class
HNLMS Zwaardvisch off the coast of Java
in the Java Sea. Lieutenant Commander
Hendrikus Abraham Waldemar Goossen immediately changed course into the direction of the sub and ordered his crew to battle stations. At 06:53, 11 minutes after sighting the Germans, Zwaardvisch released six torpedoes from 900 yd (823 m) away on a 95° track.
A few seconds later, an explosion was heard by the Dutch commander so he raised his periscope
and observed as the enemy craft began to sink. Goossen also saw several officers and crewmen escaping from the conning tower
hatch and they were captured. The torpedo hit U-168 bow and it quickly sank in 220 m (721.8 ft) of water off Java's northern coast at position 06°20'S-111°28'E. Twenty-three men were killed and 27 became prisoners; because space aboard Zwaardvisch was limited, however, 22 of the detainees were transferred to a fishing boat and allowed to go free. They eventually made it to the shores of Java. The prisoners included Kapitänluetnant Pich, three other officers and one wounded rating. Pich later informed the Dutch commander that his submarine was hit three times though only one torpedo exploded.
U-168 is not believed to have made any defense in the action, thus the Germans were sunk likely without realizing they were under attack until the torpedoes hit. The Kriegsmarine
was convinced that the sinking of U-168 was the result of "loose talk" due to the crew who brought their Indonesia
n girlfriends aboard for a goodbye party. They also assumed that the exact position of U-168 was discovered by the Allies
long before the engagement, though Dutch reports suggest that they encountered the Germans simply by chance.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in which a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
was sunk by a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
while operating in the Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
. The sinking was part of the German U-boat campaign in the Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s.
Action
Kapitänleutnant Helmuth Pich commanded the boat during the time of her sinking. The submarine was steaming east to Soerabaja from Batavia where she was to rendezvous with and . From there, the wolfpack would operate against the western coast of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but before meeting the other U-boats, U-168 was discovered on the surface by the T-class
T class submarine
Two classes of submarine are known as the T class:* The AA-1 class of three experimental submarines of the United States Navy is also known as the T class.* The T class of 55 submarines of the Royal Navy that served in World War II....
HNLMS Zwaardvisch off the coast of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in the Java Sea. Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Hendrikus Abraham Waldemar Goossen immediately changed course into the direction of the sub and ordered his crew to battle stations. At 06:53, 11 minutes after sighting the Germans, Zwaardvisch released six torpedoes from 900 yd (823 m) away on a 95° track.
A few seconds later, an explosion was heard by the Dutch commander so he raised his periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
and observed as the enemy craft began to sink. Goossen also saw several officers and crewmen escaping from the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
hatch and they were captured. The torpedo hit U-168 bow and it quickly sank in 220 m (721.8 ft) of water off Java's northern coast at position 06°20'S-111°28'E. Twenty-three men were killed and 27 became prisoners; because space aboard Zwaardvisch was limited, however, 22 of the detainees were transferred to a fishing boat and allowed to go free. They eventually made it to the shores of Java. The prisoners included Kapitänluetnant Pich, three other officers and one wounded rating. Pich later informed the Dutch commander that his submarine was hit three times though only one torpedo exploded.
U-168 is not believed to have made any defense in the action, thus the Germans were sunk likely without realizing they were under attack until the torpedoes hit. The Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
was convinced that the sinking of U-168 was the result of "loose talk" due to the crew who brought their Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n girlfriends aboard for a goodbye party. They also assumed that the exact position of U-168 was discovered by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
long before the engagement, though Dutch reports suggest that they encountered the Germans simply by chance.