Patrol info for U-573
| Departure | Arrival / Fate | Duration | ||
| 20 Apr 1942 | Pola | 2 May 1942 | Cartagena | 13 days |
Commander | Officers * | |
Kptlt. Heinrich Heinsohn |
1WO Oblt. Erwin Schwager |
2WO Ltn. Ernst-August Racky |
The boat was ordered to operate against enemy aircraft carriers that entered the Western Mediterranean from Gibraltar to launch fighter aircraft for Malta.
On 29 April, U-573 developed engine troubles and headed east while the crew tried to repair the engine. In the afternoon on 1 May, the U-boat was bombed and badly damaged by a Hudson aircraft northwest of Ténès, Algeria. After reporting the distress, the nearby U-74 and U-375 were sent to assist and the Italian submarines Emo and Mocenigo also joined the rescue operation, while the Allies sent other aircraft from Gibraltar and detached two destroyers to intercept the crippled U-boat. Heinsohn initially thought that he had to scuttle the disabled boat, but the engineers managed to restart one of the electrical engines and so they slowly headed northwards, until they were ordered by the SKL to head for Cartagena in neutral Spain, where the boat arrived at 11.36 hours on 2 May. However, the Allied forces searching for U-573 located and sank U-74 during the afternoon.
Daily positions, sinkings and allied attacks during the patrol of U-573
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indicates an Allied attack on the boat.
shows the loss of the U-boat.
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We have 12 daily positions for the 13 days U-573 was at sea.
Departure from Pola on 20 Apr 1942.
21 Apr 1942 - 22 Apr 1942 - 23 Apr 1942 - 24 Apr 1942 - 25 Apr 1942 - 26 Apr 1942 - 27 Apr 1942 - 28 Apr 1942 - 29 Apr 1942 - 30 Apr 1942 - 1 May 1942 -
Arrival at Cartagena on 2 May 1942.
Ships hit by U-573 during this patrol
No entries found.
General Events during this patrol
1942
1 May 1942. On 1 May, 1942, U-573 was bombed and seriously damaged by a Hudson aircraft north-west of Ténès, Algeria. The SKL ordered the U-boat to head for the neutral Spain. The next day, U-573 arrived at Cartagena and the Spanish authorities conceded a three months period for repairs. This was a very irregular concession because this long period was not allowed by international regulations and for this reason the British embassy in Madrid sent several strong protests to the Spanish foreign affairs ministry.
S-01, former U-573, in Barcelona harbor during a protocol visit.Finally, after several talks the Kriegsmarine sold U-573 without torpedoes to the Armada (Spanish Navy) for 1.5 million Reichsmark. At 10.00 hours on 2 August, 1942, the Spanish Navy took over the boat as G 7 and the Spanish flag was put on in a very simple ceremony only one day before the conceded period ended.S-01 in Cartagena's slipway number 2 during regular maintenanceThis was a very good solution for everyone because it was not possible to repair the boat during the period established. After repairs were completed it entered service in 1947 and was renamed S-01 on 25 Jun, 1961. In May 1970, the boat was decommissioned and auctioned for 3,334,751 Peseta (about $26,500). Despite efforts to save and preserve it as a museum, the former U-573 was finally broken up.* The crewmen of U-573 were repatriated from Spain in small groups during January and February 1943. Kptlt. Heinsohn returned with the last group to Germany in March 1943, where he took over U-438 on which he perished with his crew on 6 May, 1943.See also U-boats Interned in Spain.
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Attacks on U-573 during this patrol
1 May 1942
At 15.56 hours, the boat was attacked by the Hudson AM735 (233 Sqn RAF/M, pilot Sgt Brent) from Gibraltar with a stick of three 250lb depth charges about 40 miles north-west of Ténès, Algeria. Two were seen to explode very close on the starboard side aft, lifting the stern of the crash-diving boat out of the water. The U-boat was seen to resurface close to a large patch of oil with about ten men standing on the bridge and raising their hands to surrender. The pilot felt it not justified to strafe the U-boat as the Germans did not man the AA guns, but the assessment of the Coastal Command states that he should have machine gunned the crew because no surface vessels were nearby to accept the surrender. The aircraft circled the area until it was low on fuel and had to return to base at 16.20 hours.
U-573 was seriously damaged by the attack with one electrical and both diesel engines out of order, both batteries damaged, leaks in the diving and ballast tanks on the starboard side and a big dent in the pressure hull at the stern. After hearing of the distress, the FdU ordered the nearby U-74 and U-375 to assist and also the Italian submarines Emo and Mocenigo joined the rescue operation. The Allies sent other aircraft from Gibraltar and detached HMS Wishart and HMS Wrestler from a group of five destroyers on A/S patrol east of Gibraltar to intercept the crippled U-boat. The commander of U-573 initially thought that he had to scuttle the disabled boat, but the engineers managed to restart one of the electrical engines and so they slowly headed northwards, but were for some time unable to send radio messages and could not report the current position so they were not found by the other U-boats during the night. The next morning, the SKL ordered U-573 to head for the harbor of Cartagena in neutral Spain, where they arrived at 11.36 hours on 2 May. However, the Allied forces searching for this U-boat located and sank U-74 during the afternoon.
(Sources: Norman Franks, ADM 199/1782)About this data
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* These are officers that later became commanders themselves.
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