U-568
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 24 Oct 1939 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 27 Apr 1940 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 544) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 6 Mar 1941 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 1 May 1941 | Kptlt. Joachim Preuss | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 5 patrols |
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| Successes | 1 ship sunk for a total of 6,023 GRT 2 warships sunk for a total of 1,850 tons 1 warship damaged for a total of 1,630 tons | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 29 May, 1942 in the Mediterranean north-east of Tobruk, in position 32.42N, 24.53E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Hero and the British escort destroyers HMS Eridge and HMS Hurworth. 47 survivors (no casualties). | |||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-568 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 - 8 Sep 1941)
Reissewolf (21 Oct 1941 - 31 Oct 1941)
Attacks on this boat
12 Aug 1941
The boat attacked convoy ON-4 and sank the convoy escort HMS Picotee but missed a freighter he also fired on. The other convoy escorts counterattacked the boat and held her down while the convoy escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 335)
9 Jan 1942
The attack by a Sunderland (RAF-Sqdn 230/X) aircraft on 9 Jan, 1942 in position 32.22N, 26.54E believed to have sunk the U-577 was actually against the U-568 causing minor damage to that boat. (Sources: 1990-11-01, FDS/NHB)
2 recorded attacks on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-568 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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