Patrol info for U-566
Date lookup for 24 Oct 1943
| Departure | Arrival / Fate | Duration | ||
| 18 Oct 1943 | Brest | 24 Oct 1943 | Lost | 7 days |
Commander | Officers * |
 Kptlt. Hans Hornkohl |
1WO Ltn. Kurt Ahlers |
U-566's position on 24 Oct 1943
Ships hit by U-566 on this date
General Events during this patrol
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Attacks on U-566 during this patrol
24 Oct 1943
The sinking of U-566
01.27 hrs, west of Leixoes, Portugal: Wellington bomber HF132 (RAF sqdn 179/A, pilot Sgt Donald Mervin Conrish, RCAF) made a Leigh Light approach after locating U-566 on radar. Despite some flak damage to the tail, the aircraft (misidentified as a Catalina) dropped six depth charges which detonated either side of the stern, destroying the rudder and bending a drive shaft, leaving U-566 disabled and unable to dive. The aircraft circled the area for three hours until it was low on fuel and had to leave. Hornkohl then ordered the crew to abandon ship in rubber dinghies and scuttled the boat at 04.30 hrs. The entire crew of 49 were rescued within five hours by the Spanish trawler Fina about 30 nautical miles (56 km) from the Spanish coast, and landed in Corunna later that day. They were allowed to leave Spain by train in civilian clothes on 28 October and arrived in Brest three days later. U-556s crew subsequently took over U-1007. Most of them survived the war, and in 1970 they met the crew of the aircraft that sank U-566. The pilot had received an immediate award of a DFM for the action.
(Sources: Franks, Ritschel)About this data
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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.