Just picked up an original 1930s record player from a local antiques fair for less than the price of a normal modern one. It’s got a plaque named to U161, which really caught my eye. Not sure whether the plaque is original to the piece or something added later, but I’ll let you all be the judges. What do you reckon?

The record player itself is a German pre-1933 Juwel Electro soundbox by Goldring. The plaque is marked U-161, Lorient, 1943, with a Viking ship on the top of the case.

If the plaque is original, the date would match the day U-161 returned to Lorient after its fourth successful patrol, having spent 113 days at sea. The submarine completed two further patrols before being sunk by an American Aircraft on the 27 September 1943, all 53 hands lost.

U-161 was one of the more successful U-boats of the German Navy. U-161 was launched on the 1st of March 1941. Throughout its service life, it was responsible for the sinking 11 merchant ships, 1 warship and a further 5 ships damaged. It mostly operated in the South Atlantic and was Captained by Albrecht Achilles from January 1942 to its sinking in September 1943.

Throughout WW2, no other vessel presented its crew with poorer living conditions. Crews were rarely able to bathe, shave, or change their clothes. Privacy was non-existent, and conditions were extremely cramped. The crew were divided into three 8-hour shifts: one for sleeping, one for regular duties, and one for miscellaneous tasks. Beds were shared, and patrols were long, with U-161 spending on one patrol 161 days at sea on one tour without a break. Food was poor due to limited resupply, and fresh water was almost non-existent. Entertainment was limited and record players were often the only source of music from the outside world.

The Battle of the Atlantic was cruel and relentless. From September 1939 to May 1945, over 100k people are believed to have been killed during the Campaign. One victim of the Atlantic was the Lady Nelson who was sunk by U-161 which was sunk of the 10th of March 1942.

At 04.49 hours on 10 March 1942 U-161 fired two torpedoes into the harbour of Port Castries, St. Lucia. The first torpedo hit the Lady Nelson which caught fire and sank by the stern in shallow waters. The second torpedo struck the Umtata which also sank by the stern. Three crew members and 15 passengers of the 116 crew members, 110 passengers and two gunners aboard Lady Nelson and seven dock workers were lost.

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