Departure from Brest on 5 Jul 1943.
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Arrival at Brest on 1 Sep 1943.

We have no events listed for this patrol.

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7 Aug 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
American PV-1 Ventura BuNo 29916 (VB-128 USN, pilot Lt F.C. Cross)

At 13.22 hours, the boat was attacked by the PV-1 based on NAS New York after being located by radar. The aircraft was hit by AA fire during the approach, dropping four depth charges that were duds. U-566 misidentified the attacker as Mitchell and last saw it leaving with its starboard engine on fire. The wounded pilot had to ditch, but he died in the water while the other two crewmen were rescued later that day by a flying boat.

7 Aug 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:
American PV-1 Ventura BuNo 29909 (VB-128 USN, pilot Lt Joseph M. George)

At 18.15 hours, the boat was attacked by a second PV-1 from NAS New York and again replied with AA fire. One of the four depth charges dropped actually hit U-566 and bounced off before exploding, but causing no damage. The Germans again misidentified the attacker as Mitchell and scored several AA hits after it passed over the boat, causing the burning aircraft to crash in a distance of about 1200 meters. All five crewmen were lost.

U-566 then headed for the crash site because a rubber dinghy was sighted, but before it was reached another Ventura (VB-126 USN, pilot Lt J.R. Smith) based on NAS Quonset and a PBM Mariner (VB-211 USN, pilot Lt E.C. Scully) from Elizabeth City arrived at the scene. The U-boat fired at the aircraft, misidentified as Mitchell and Lerwick and then dived at 18.29 hours. The Ventura immediately attacked and dropped four depth charges that caused no damage. However, U-566 had to surface again due to a malfunction of a diving tank, manned the AA guns and damaged the Mariner that made several passes because its eight depth charges hung up until the emergency release was used. Suddenly the U-boat accidentally dived, the commander closing the conning tower hatch from the bridge and clinging to the periscope until the LI brought the boat to the surface again. The II.WO and seven crewmen had been swept overboard and were picked up within 20 minutes, while the replacement crew on the AA guns fought off a strafing run by the Ventura at 19.08 hours. U-566 subsequently dived and escaped only slightly damaged by gunfire after having shot down two aircraft and damaged two more during one day. One crew member had been wounded at the left hand during the last strafing attack while four men, including the commander and I.WO, suffered ruptured eardrums.

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