The German U-boat U-123, a Type IXB submarine of the Kriegsmarine, played a significant role in World War II. Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Moehle commissioned it on May 30, 1940, and under his command and subsequent leadership by Reinhard Hardegen, U-123 embarked on 12 war patrols, sinking 45 ships totaling 224,050 gross register tons while damaging six others. During its seventh patrol, from December 23, 1941, to February 9, 1942, Hardegen led U-123 as part of Operation Drumbeat, attacking Allied shipping along the U.S. East Coast. This patrol destroyed several key vessels, including the British tanker Cyclops and the Norwegian tanker Norness. After the war, the French Navy acquired U-123, renaming it Blaison (Q165), and used it until its decommissioning on August 18, 1959.