German submarine U-567

Last updated
History
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Nazi Germany
NameU-567
Ordered24 October 1939
Builder Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number543
Laid down27 April 1940
Launched6 March 1941
Commissioned24 April 1941
FateSunk on 21 December 1941 [1]
General characteristics
Class and type Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
  • 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
  • 871 t (857 long tons) submerged
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)

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

Contents

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

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

First patrol

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

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

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′N20°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

U-567 took part in five wolfpacks, namely:

Summary of raiding history

DateShip NameNationalityTonnage
(GRT)
Fate [4]
3 September 1941 Fort Richepanse Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3,485Sunk
21 December 1941 Annavore Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3,324Sunk

Sources

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 4 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

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-596 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 January 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 572, launched on 17 September 1941 and commissioned on 13 November under Kapitänleutnant Gunter Jahn. He was replaced on 28 July 1943 by Oberleutnant zur See Victor-Whilhelm Nonn who was superseded by Oblt.z.S. Hans Kolbus in July 1944.

German submarine U-70 was a Type VIIC submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-438 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-338 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 4 April 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 20 April 1942, and commissioned on 25 June 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Manfred Kinzel.

German submarine <i>U-751</i> German World War II submarine

German submarine U-751 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Built as yard number 134 of the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, she was commissioned on 31 January 1941. She served with 7th U-boat Flotilla until 1 June as a training boat, and as an operational boat until 17 July 1942, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk. U-751 served in seven patrols with the 7th U-boat Flotilla, sinking the escort carrier HMS Audacity. The U-boat was attacked with depth charges from aircraft on 17 July 1942 and sank with the loss of all 48 crew members.

German submarine U-702 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was under the command of Kapitänleutnant Wolf-Rüdiger von Rabenau.

German submarine U-758 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 5 May 1942, she served with the 6th U-boat Flotilla until 1 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 14 October 1944 mostly under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Manseck before joining the 33rd U-boat Flotilla as a training boat for the remainder of her service in the war.

German submarine U-410 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II, operating mainly in the Mediterranean. Her insignia was a sword & shield, she did not suffer any casualties until she was sunk.

German submarine U-252 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 November 1940 at the Vegesacker Werft at Bremen as yard number 17, launched on 14 August 1941 and commissioned on 4 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Gunter Schiebusch.

German submarine U-431 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 January 1940 by Schichau-Werke in Danzig as yard number 1472, launched on 2 February 1941 and commissioned on 5 April 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Dommes.

German submarine U-372 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 17 November 1939 by Kriegsmarinewerft Kiel as construction number 3, launched on 8 March 1941 and commissioned on 19 April 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Heinz-Joachim Neumann.

German submarine U-453 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 July 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 284, launched on 30 April 1941 and commissioned on 26 June 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Egon-Reiner von Schlippenbach.

German submarine U-568 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She conducted five patrols, sinking one merchant ship, two warships, and severely damaging another warship. On 28 May 1942, she was depth charged and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea; all hands survived.

German submarine U-593 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 17 December 1940 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 569, launched on 3 September 1941 and commissioned on 23 October under Kapitänleutnant Gerd Kelbling.

German submarine U-604 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 27 February 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 580, launched on 16 November 1941 and commissioned on 8 January 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Horst Höltring.

German submarine U-591 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 30 October 1940 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 567, launched on 20 August 1941 and commissioned on 9 October 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche.

German submarine U-385 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-581 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

German submarine U-624 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 15 July 1941 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 600, launched on 31 March 1942 and commissioned on 28 May 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen.

German submarine U-663 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 31 March 1941 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg as yard number 812, launched on 26 March 1942 and commissioned on 14 May 1942 under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Schmid.