Ocean-going long-range submarines were built in the type IXC with fuel tanks enlarged again which allowed to increase the max surface range to 1200 nautical miles The conning tower structure was also changed as the ever increasing amount of equipment and AA armament forced new platform types to be fitted T-II type turrets were used in the newly built vessels and also in the older ones during overhauls Operations in far away areas as far as the North American coast and the Indian Ocean resulted in removing the net-cutting device The appearance of these submarines was changing all the time The U-176 was built by Deschimag AG Weser at Bremen shipyard no 1016 Launched on 12 September 1941 she was commissioned in December 1941 She started service in the 4 Submarine Flotilla performing training cruises until July 1942 under Captain Reiner Dierksen In July 1942 the ship was transferred to 10 Submarine Flotilla and commenced operations reaching as far as American coast It was there that she was sunk in May 1943 in the Florida Straits north-east of Havana by an attack of an American aero plane followed by depth charge attack by Cuban SC 13 ship The entire crew perished