German submarine U-568
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German submarine ''U-568'' was a Type VIIC
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...
built for
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's '' Kriegsmarine'' for service during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. 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 The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
; all hands survived.


Design

German Type VIIC submarines German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
were preceded by the smaller Type VIIB submarines. ''U-568'' had a displacement of while surfaced and while submerged. She had a total length of , a hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
s producing a total of for use while surfaced, two
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GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was designed to be capable of operating at depths of up to . The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . ''U-568'' was fitted with five
torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...
es, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a
complement A complement is something that completes something else. Complement may refer specifically to: The arts * Complement (music), an interval that, when added to another, spans an octave ** Aggregate complementation, the separation of pitch-clas ...
of between forty-four and sixty, and surrendered with 47 on board.


Construction and career

''U-568'' was ordered on 24 October 1939 and
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...
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
3rd U-boat Flotilla The 3rd U-boat Flotilla (German ''3. Unterseebootsflottille''), also known as Lohs Flotilla, was the third operational U-boat unit in Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine''. Founded on 4 October 1937 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Eckermann ...
. The submarine completed training on 1 August 1941 and was placed under the command of ''
Kapitänleutnant ''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...
'' Joachim Preuss, who had already conducted five patrols with '' U-10''.


First patrol

''U-568'' departed
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
on 3 August 1941 and was assigned to U-boat Wolfpack Grönland in the
North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
, arriving there a week later. On 12 August, the submarine attacked Convoy ON 4, firing two torpedoes at a " tanker" and convoy escort Flower-class corvette (925 tons). The torpedo fired at the "tanker" went wide, but Preuss observed how the corvette "sinks immediately as her
depth charges A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use h ...
detonate (five or six of them)". 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. Afterwards, ''U-568'' had short stints with Woflpacks Kurfürst (23 August – 2 September 1941) and Seewolf (2 – 8 September 1941), arriving at homeport Saint-Nazaire on 10 September 1941.


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 A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
''Empire Heron'' () with two torpedoes and killing forty-two on board. The next day, she fired a spread of four torpedoes at the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
destroyer (1,630 tons) having been repeatedly depth-charged by her the previous night. One torpedo hit the ship starboard, killing 11 sailors. Sighted by , ''U-568'' attempted to escape the escorts by sailing under cover of a rain
squall A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
, but was pursued. The submarine attempted to sink ''Pictou'' with a torpedo, but it passed to
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
and missed. Afterwards, the U-boat retreated. The ''Kearny'' incident was cited by
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
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. Between 21 and 31 October 1941, ''U-568'' was part of Wolfpack Reissewolf. After her attack on Convoy SC 48, the remainder of her patrol was routine, and she arrived at Saint-Nazaire on 7 November 1941.


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 The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
NE of
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
in position , by Royal Navy vessels, the destroyer , and escort destroyers and . All 47 hands survived.


Summary of raiding history


See also

* Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:U0568 German Type VIIC submarines 1941 ships U-boats commissioned in 1941 U-boats sunk by depth charges U-boats sunk by British warships U-boats sunk in 1942 World War II submarines of Germany World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea Ships built in Hamburg Maritime incidents in May 1942