German submarine U-568

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.

History
Nazi Germany
Name: U-568
Ordered: 24 October 1939
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number: 544
Laid down: 27 April 1940
Launched: 6 March 1941
Commissioned: 1 May 1941
Fate: Sunk 29 May 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Tobruk in position 32°42′N 24°53′E, by RN ships Hero, Eridge and Hurworth.
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
Height: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 4.74 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)
Complement: 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament:
Service record[1]
Part of:
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Joachim Preuss
  • 1 May 1941 – 29 May 1942
Operations:
  • 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: 21–29 May 1942
Victories:
  • 1 merchant ship sunk (6,023 GRT)
  • 2 warships sunk (1,850 tons)
  • 1 warship damaged (1,630 tons)

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the smaller Type VIIB submarines. U-568 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) while surfaced and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[2] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a 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 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] 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-568 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, and surrendered with 47 on board.[2]

Construction and career

U-568 was ordered on 24 October 1939 and laid down six months later. It was launched on 6 March 1941. On 1 May 1941, it was commissioned; it started training the same day as part of 3. Flottile.[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 Trondheim on 3 August 1941 and was assigned to U-boat Wolfpack Grönland in the North Atlantic Ocean, arriving there a week later.[4][5] On 12 August, the submarine attacked Convoy ON 4, firing two torpedoes at a "tanker"[lower-alpha 1] and convoy escort Flower-class corvette Picotee (925 tons).[6] The torpedo fired at the "tanker" went wide, but Preuss observed how the corvette "sinks immediately as her 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 September - 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 Convoy SC 48 on 16 October 1941, sinking the steam merchant ship Empire Heron (6,023 GRT) with two torpedoes and killing forty-two on board. The next day, she fired a spread of four torpedoes at the United States Navy destroyer Kearny (1,630 tons). One torpedo hit the ship starboard, killing 11 sailors.[10][lower-alpha 2] 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 falsely 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 29 May 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Tobruk in position 32°42′N 24°53′E, 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 Name Nationality Tonnage[lower-alpha 3] 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

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. Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.

Citations
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-568". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  2. Gröner 1991, pp. 43-46.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Kapitänleutnant Joachim Preuss". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  4. 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. 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. 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
  • 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). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
  • Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
  • Blair, Clay. Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939-1942. New York City: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64032-0.
  • David Morgan and Bruce Taylor (9 November 2011). U-Boat Attack Logs: A Complete Record of Warship Sinkings from Original Sources 1939-1945. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-118-2.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-568". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  • Hofmann, Markus. "U 568". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2014.


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