German submarine U-568

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History
Nazi Germany
NameU-568
Ordered24 October 1939
Builder
Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number544
Laid down27 April 1940
Launched6 March 1941
Commissioned1 May 1941
FateSunk on 28 May 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Tobruk in position 32°42′N 24°53′E / 32.700°N 24.883°E / 32.700; 24.883, by RN ships Hero, Eridge and Hurworth.
General characteristics
Class and type
Type VIIC submarine
Displacement
Length
  • 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in)
    o/a
  • 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
    pressure hull
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[1]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 161
Commanders:
  • Kptlt.
     Joachim Preuss
  • 1 May 1941 – 28 May 1942
Operations:
  • 5 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 3 August 1941 – 10 September 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • 9 October – 7 November 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 4 December 1941 – 17 January 1942
  • 4th patrol:
  • 2 – 30 March 1942
  • 5th patrol:
  • 21 – 28 May 1942
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk
    (6,023 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk
    (1,850 tons)
  • 1 warship damaged
    (1,630 tons)

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.

Design

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 BBC 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 designed to be capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[2]

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).

2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty, and surrendered with 47 on board.[2]

Construction and career

U-568 was ordered on 24 October 1939 and

launched on 6 March 1941. On 1 May 1941, it was commissioned; it started training the same day as part of 3rd U-boat Flotilla.[1] The submarine completed training on 1 August 1941 and was placed under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Preuss, who had already conducted five patrols with U-10.[3]

First patrol

U-568 departed

depth charges detonate (five or six of them)".[6][1] All hands on board Picobee were killed in action. Other escorts stopped and held the U-boat down while the rest of the convoy escaped.[7] Afterwards, U-568 had short stints with Woflpacks Kurfürst (23 August – 2 September 1941[8]) and Seewolf (2 – 8 September 1941[9]), arriving at homeport Saint-Nazaire on 10 September 1941.[4]

Second patrol

U-568 embarked on her second patrol on 9 October 1941. On her way west into the Atlantic, she attacked

starboard, killing 11 sailors.[10][b] Sighted by HMCS Pictou, U-568 attempted to escape the escorts by sailing under cover of a rain squall, but was pursued. The submarine attempted to sink Pictou with a torpedo, but it passed 15 ft (4.6 metres) to port and missed. Afterwards, the U-boat retreated.[1] The Kearny incident was cited by Adolf Hitler as being reasoning for Nazi Germany declaring war against the United States, with Hitler presenting the action as starting with the Kearny attacking U-568 with depth charges.[11]

Between 21 and 31 October 1941, U-568 was part of Wolfpack Reissewolf.[12] After her attack on Convoy SC 48, the remainder of her patrol was routine, and she arrived at Saint-Nazaire on 7 November 1941.[13]

Wolfpacks

She took part in four wolfpacks, namely:

  • Grönland (10 – 23 August 1941)
  • Kurfürst (23 August – 2 September 1941)
  • Seewolf (2 – 8 September 1941)
  • Reissewolf (21 – 31 October 1941)

Fate

U-568 was sunk on 28 May 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Tobruk in position 32°42′N 24°53′E / 32.700°N 24.883°E / 32.700; 24.883, by Royal Navy vessels, the destroyer HMS Hero, and escort destroyers HMS Eridge and HMS Hurworth. All 47 hands survived.[14]

Summary of raiding history

Date Ship Name Nationality Tonnage[c] Fate[15]
12 August 1941 HMS Picotee  Royal Navy 925 Sunk
16 October 1941 Empire Heron  United Kingdom 6,023 Sunk
17 October 1941 USS Kearny  United States Navy 1,630 Damaged
24 December 1941 HMS Salvia  Royal Navy 925 Sunk

See also

  • Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)

References

Notes

  1. ^ uboat.net states that the second ship attacked was a freighter.[1]
  2. ^ The explosion badly damaged the vessel, disabling it until April 1942.[10]
  3. gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement
    .

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-568". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kapitänleutnant Joachim Preuss". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-568". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  5. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack Grönland". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b Morgan & Taylor 2011, p. 110.
  7. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Picotee (K 63) (British Corvette)". Uboat.org. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  8. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack Kurfürst". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  9. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack Seewolf". uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  10. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "USS Kearny (DD 432)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Adolf Hitler: Speech Declaring War Against the United States (December 11, 1941)". jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  12. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wolfpack Reissewolf". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol info for U-568". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  14. ^ Busch & Röll 1999.
  15. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-568". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

Bibliography

External links

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