13 Jun 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Sunderland (228 Sqdn RAF/U, pilot F/O L.B. Lee)

At 18.59 hours, a group of five outbound boats (U-185, U-358, U-564, U-634 and U-653) were attacked by the Sunderland northwest of Cape Finisterre. The aircraft singled out U-564, dropped its bombs and crashed in flames after being hit by the intense AA fire, all 11 crew members were killed. The badly damaged boat turned back under escort by U-185, but was sunk by aircraft the next day.

14 Jun 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Whitley Mk.V BD220 (10 OTU RAF/G, pilot Sgt A.J. Benson)

The sinking of U-564 At 14.39 hours, two inbound boats were spotted by the Whitley in the Bay of Biscay and shadowed. U-564 was unable to dive after an air attack the day before and was escorted back to France by U-185. At 16.45 hours, the fuel of the aircraft was running low and the pilot decided to attack U-564. Both boats opened fire and hit the bomber, but its depth charges caused more damages on the boat and she sank at 17.30 hours. The hydraulics and the starboard engine of the Whitley were damaged, so the crew was forced to ditch and ended up as German prisoners after being picked up by a French trawler.

The commander and 17 crewmen were picked up by U-185, which transferred them to the German destroyer Z-24 two hours later and then continued her patrol. The Canadian Hampden aircraft X2961 (415 Sqdn RCAF/S, pilot S/L J.G. Stronach) arrived in the area around the time of the air attack, but was shot down by a German Ju88C fighter (15./KG 40, Hptm Hans Morr) with the loss of all four crewmen. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman/Goss)

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