The loading of a torpedo into a U-boat for the next patrol.  This was taken at the Wilhelmshaven shipyard.

A tight squeeze


The U-133 was a Type VIIC U-boat of German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 10 August 1940 by Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack as yard number 12, launched on 28 April 1941 and commissioned on 5 July 1941.


She carried out three patrols sinking 1 warship, total tonnage 1,920 tons. She was a member of three wolfpacks.

During her third patrol, on 17 January 1942, U-133 torpedoed and sunk the British destroyer HMS Gurkha while escorting convoy MW 8B. Another escort of the convoy, the British destroyer HMS Maori counter attacking the boat with depth charges caused minor damage.

U-133 was sank after striking a mine, probably a German one, off Salamis Island on 14 March 1942. All hands were lost in the event.

There is a great U-boat myth that involves this boat. According to an article from 1996 her last mission was to travel up the Colorado River from Baja California and destroy the Hoover Dam. The article is from the USS Shaw's newsletter. The article states that U-133, piloted by Captain Peter Pfau along with 54 sailors made it to as far as Laughlin, Nevada before sandbars made them abort their mission and scuttle the sub.

This is only a cute story, she never would have made it that far  as its fuel supply would never have allowed this (not even close, the type VIIC could make it to the US east coast by filling up part of its water tanks with fuel but even then it was stretching it). There was also no U-boat commander named Pfau. Had such an unsual and daring raid been attempted during the war, people would talk and we would know about it by now. 

[Digitally colorized by: Edward Tambunan]
taken from fb/Allan holderness

Das U-boot in farbe

Another view of the crew loading a torpedo at Wilhelmshaven shipyard.