World War II Database

Hans-Günther Kuhlmann was born at Cologne, Germany. He entered military service as a naval cadet in 1932 and remained in the merchant marine and then the Kriegsmarine. In 1936, the athletic junior officer was a member of Kriegsmarine's handball team. He served as a torpedo officer aboard cruiser Blücher until Jan 1940, when he became a member of the elite corps, the submariners. He served aboard U-37 until he was given command of his own submarine, the U-7. On 24 Jul 1941, he assumed command of U-580. His excellent combat record gave him command of the newly commissioned U-166, a modern submarine capable of making stunningly long journeys. He took command of U-166 in May 1942, and in the following two months, he demoralized American shipping by sinking four ships in the Gulf of Mexico. On 30 Jul 1942, after sinking the 5,184 ton passenger ship Robert E. Lee, his Unterseeboot was sunk by depth charges launched by the escorting patrol craft PC-566. The wreckage of U-166 was discovered 45 miles south of the Mississippi River delta at the depth of 5,000 feet in 2001. Oberleutnant zur See Kuhlmann now remains on eternal patrol with U-166, which is a designated war grave.

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