German submarine U-567

Summary

German submarine U-567 was a type VII C submarine in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-567
Ordered24 October 1939
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number543
Laid down27 April 1940
Launched6 March 1941
Commissioned24 April 1941
FateSunk on 21 December 1941[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeType VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
  • 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power
  • 2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels)
  • 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced
  • 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth
  • 230 m (750 ft)
  • Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament
Service record[2]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 135
Commanders:
Operations:
  • 3 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 5 August – 12 September 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 25 October – 26 November 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 18 – 21 December 1941
Victories: 2 merchant ships sunk
(6,809 GRT)

Her keel was laid down on 27 April 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 543. She was launched on 6 March 1941 and was commissioned on 24 April under Kapitänleutnant Theodor Fahr. She entered service with the 3rd U-boat Flotilla for training. She began operations with that flotilla on 1 August 1941 and joined the 7th Flotilla on 1 November.

The U-boat was sunk with the loss of all crew on 21 December 1941.

Design edit

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-567 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[3] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-567 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[3]

Service history edit

First patrol edit

She left Trondheim in Norway on 5 August 1941 and entered the Atlantic via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sinking the 3,485 GRT British merchant ship Fort Richepanse west of Ireland on 3 September. She docked at St. Nazaire in occupied France on 12 September.

Second patrol edit

The boat switched captains to Kapitänleutnant Engelbert Endrass, (who had been IWO [first watch officer] on Günther Prien's U-47 when she sank the battleship HMS Royal Oak in 1939),[1] on 15 October. The boat left St. Nazaire on 25 October 1941 and returned on 26 November. The patrol was unsuccessful.

Third patrol and loss edit

She attacked convoy HG 76 in the North Atlantic, north-east of the Azores, which was made up of 32 cargo ships and escorted by five destroyers, seven corvettes and one aircraft carrier, sinking the 3,324 GRT Norwegian merchant ship Annavore on 21 December 1941. U-567 was herself sunk later the same day at 44°02′N 20°10′W / 44.033°N 20.167°W / 44.033; -20.167 by depth charges dropped by HMS Deptford and Samphire - there were no survivors from her crew of 47.

Wolfpacks edit

U-567 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:

  • Grönland (10 – 23 August 1941)
  • Kurfürst (23 August – 2 September 1941)
  • Seewolf (2 – 9 September 1941)
  • Stosstrupp (30 October – 4 November 1941)
  • Störtebecker (15 – 24 November 1941)

Summary of raiding history edit

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)
Fate[4]
3 September 1941 Fort Richepanse   United Kingdom 3,485 Sunk
21 December 1941 Annavore   Norway 3,324 Sunk

Sources edit

  1. ^ a b Kemp 1997, p. 77.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-567". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-567". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2014.

Bibliography edit

  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links edit

  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-567". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.