List of all U-boats

U-563

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered24 Oct 1939
Laid down30 Mar 1940 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 539)
Launched5 Feb 1941
Commissioned27 Mar 1941Oblt. Klaus Bargsten (Knights Cross)
Commanders
27 Mar 1941 - 15 Mar 1942  Oblt. Klaus Heinrich Bargsten (Knights Cross)
1 Apr 1942 - 16 May 1943  Kptlt. Götz von Hartmann (German Cross in Gold)
21 May 1943 - 31 May 1943  Oblt. Gustav Borchardt
Career
8 patrols
27 Mar 1941-1 Jul 1941  1. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1941-31 May 1943  1. Flottille (active service)
Successes3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,689 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,266 GRT
Fate

Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 46.35N, 10.40W, by depth charges from a British Halifax (58 Sqn RAF/R), a British Sunderland (228 Sqn RAF/X) and an Australian Sunderland aircraft (10 Sqn RAAF/E). 49 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 6 ships hit by U-563 - View the 8 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-563 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Grönland (10 Aug 1941 - 23 Aug 1941)
   Kurfürst (23 Aug 1941 - 2 Sep 1941)
   Seewolf (2 Sep 1941 - 7 Sep 1941)
   Breslau (4 Oct 1941 - 29 Oct 1941)
   Panther (11 Oct 1942 - 16 Oct 1942)
   Puma (16 Oct 1942 - 29 Oct 1942)
   Falke (28 Dec 1942 - 5 Jan 1943)
   Löwenherz (1 Apr 1943 - 10 Apr 1943)
   Lerche (10 Apr 1943 - 16 Apr 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

5 Oct 1941
10.30 hrs, Bay of Biscay, outbound: Blenheim Z7406 (1404 MetFlt RAF/A, pilot P/O Jack Coleman) made a dive bomb attack, but had to circle to lose height and by mistake only dropped one instead of both 250lb A/S bombs on the diving U-563, causing no damage. The Blenheim then proceeded to patrol ahead of the original course of U-563, but instead came across U-565. (Sources: KTB U-563/ADM 199-1782)

25 Oct 1941
While preparing to attack convoy HG 75 the boat was attacked by one of the escorts, the British corvette HMS Heliotrope (K 03). The boat was driven under but not damaged by the depth charges dropped by the corvette.

30 Nov 1941
Bay of Biscay, outbound from Brest, France: the boat was attacked by a British Whitley bomber (502 Sqn RAF, pilot W.W. Cave), which dropped six depth charges that damaged to boat so much she was unable to dive. The aircraft then strafed the boat, wounding the commander in the shoulder. U-563 reached Lorient on 3 Dec, but was so severely damaged she had to return to Germany to be rebuilt. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 401)

22 Mar 1943
The boat was attacked by a Beaufighter aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered slight damage.

7 Apr 1943
A British B-24 Liberator (86 Sqn RAF) dropped three depth charges which caused only minor damage, but two men were lost when the boat dived. [Oberbootsmaat Christian Wieland, Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Schädlich]

5 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

7 Apr 1943
A British B-24 Liberator (86 Sqn RAF) dropped three depth charges which caused only minor damage, but two men were lost when the boat dived. [Oberbootsmaat Christian Wieland, Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Schädlich]

  Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -

U-boat Emblems

We have 2 emblem entries for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.


Devil with Torpedo

Globe

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)


German U-Boat Losses During World War II

Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II

Blair, Clay


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


Hitler's U-boat War

Blair, Clay


Maritime Is Number Ten - The Sunderland Era 1939-45

Baff, K.C. (Flight Lieutenant)




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