German submarine U-563

History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-563
Ordered	24 October 1939
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	539
Laid down	30 March 1940
Launched	5 February 1941
Commissioned	27 March 1941
Fate	Sunk in the Bay of Biscay by Allied aircraft on 31 May 1943
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced; 871 t (857 long tons) submerged;
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a; 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a; 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels); 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 × diesel engines; 2 × electric motors;
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced; 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged;
Range	8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	230 m (750 ft); Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft);
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla; 27 March 1941 – 31 May 1943;
Identification codes:	M 40 564
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Klaus Bargsten; 27 March 1941 – 15 March 1942; Kptlt. Gotz von Hartmann; 1 April 1942 – 16 May 1943; Oblt.z.S. Gustav Borchardt; 21 – 31 May 1943;
Operations:	8 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 31 July – 10 September 1941; 2nd patrol:; 4 October – 1 November 1941; 3rd patrol:; 29 November – 3 December 1941; 4th patrol:; a. 21 January – 3 February 1942; b. 7 – 11 February 1942; c. 19 – 20 April 1942; 5th patrol:; 1 October – 6 November 1942; 6th patrol:; 9 December 1942 – 14 January 1943; 7th patrol:; 20 March – 18 April 1943; 8th patrol:; 29 – 31 May 1943;
Victories:	3 merchant ships sunk ; (14,689 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (1,870 tons); 2 merchant ships damaged ; (16,266 GRT);

German submarine U-563 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She carried out eight patrols and sank three ships, totalling 14,689 gross register tons (GRT), as well as one warship of 1,870 tons. Two ships were damaged, totalling 16,266 GRT. She was a member of nine wolfpacks, and was sunk by Allied aircraft in the Bay of Biscay on 31 May 1943.

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