German submarine U-566

History
Nazi Germany
NameU-566
Ordered24 October 1939
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number542
Laid down30 March 1940
Launched20 February 1941
Commissioned17 April 1941
FateScuttled on 24 October 1943[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][3]
Part of:
Identification codes: M 42 015
Commanders:
  • Kptlt. Dietrich Borchert
  • 17 April 1941 – 24 July 1942
  • Oblt.z.S. Gerhard Remus
  • 25 July 1942 – 24 January 1943
  • Kptlt. Hans Hornkohl
  • 25 January – 24 October 1943
Operations:
  • 11 patrols:
  • 1st patrol:
  • 30 July – 19 August 1941
  • 2nd patrol:
  • a. 30 August – 20 September 1941
  • b. 22 – 27 September 1941
  • c. 29 September – 2 October 1941
  • d. 3 – 4 December 1941
  • 3rd patrol:
  • 9 – 23 December 1941
  • 4th patrol:
  • 15 January – 9 March 1942
  • 5th patrol:
  • 8 April – 30 June 1942
  • 6th patrol:
  • 6 August – 5 September 1942
  • 7th patrol:
  • 28 October – 1 December 1942
  • 8th patrol:
  • 6 February – 25 March 1943
  • 9th patrol:
  • 24 – 28 April 1943
  • 10th patrol:
  • 5 July – 1 September 1943
  • 11th patrol:
  • 18 – 24 October 1943
Victories:
  • 6 merchant ships sunk
    (38,092 GRT)
  • 1 warship sunk
    (2,265 tons)

German submarine U-566 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 30 March 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 542, launched on 20 February 1941 and commissioned on 17 April under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dietrich Borchert.

She was scuttled by her crew on 24 October 1943 after being damaged by six depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft in the North Atlantic west of Portugal, in position 41°12′N 9°31′W / 41.200°N 9.517°W / 41.200; -9.517. There were no casualties.[2]

  1. ^ Kemp 1999, p. 153.
  2. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-566". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  3. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-566". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 16 February 2010.