U-563

Type

VIIC

Ordered

24 Oct 1939

Laid down

30 Mar 1940

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 539)

Launched

5 Feb 1941

Commissioned

27 Mar 1941

Oblt. Klaus Bargsten (Knights Cross)

Commanders

27 Mar 1941	-	15 Mar 1942	Oblt. Klaus Heinrich Bargsten (Knights Cross)
1 Apr 1942	-	16 May 1943	Kptlt. Götz von Hartmann (German Cross in Gold)
21 May 1943	-	31 May 1943	Oblt. Gustav Borchardt

Career
8 patrols

27 Mar 1941	-	1 Jul 1941	1. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1941	-	31 May 1943	1. Flottille (active service)

Successes

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,689 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,266 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 46.35N, 10.40W, by depth charges from a British Halifax (58 Sqn RAF/R), a British Sunderland (228 Sqn RAF/X) and an Australian Sunderland aircraft (10 Sqn RAAF/E). 49 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 6 ships hit by U-563 - View the 8 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-563 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 - 7 Sep 1941)
   Breslau (4 Oct 1941 - 29 Oct 1941)
   Panther (11 Oct 1942 - 16 Oct 1942)
   Puma (16 Oct 1942 - 29 Oct 1942)
   Falke (28 Dec 1942 - 5 Jan 1943)
   Löwenherz (1 Apr 1943 - 10 Apr 1943)
   Lerche (10 Apr 1943 - 16 Apr 1943)

Attacks on this boat and other events

5 Oct 1941
10.30 hrs, Bay of Biscay, outbound: Blenheim Z7406 (1404 MetFlt RAF/A, pilot P/O Jack Coleman) made a dive bomb attack, but had to circle to lose height and by mistake only dropped one instead of both 250lb A/S bombs on the diving U-563, causing no damage. The Blenheim then proceeded to patrol ahead of the original course of U-563, but instead came across U-565. (Sources: KTB U-563/ADM 199-1782)

25 Oct 1941
While preparing to attack convoy HG 75 the boat was attacked by one of the escorts, the British corvette HMS Heliotrope (K 03). The boat was driven under but not damaged by the depth charges dropped by the corvette.

30 Nov 1941
Bay of Biscay, outbound from Brest, France: the boat was attacked by a British Whitley bomber (502 Sqn RAF, pilot W.W. Cave), which dropped six depth charges that damaged to boat so much she was unable to dive. The aircraft then strafed the boat, wounding the commander in the shoulder. U-563 reached Lorient on 3 Dec, but was so severely damaged she had to return to Germany to be rebuilt. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 401)

22 Mar 1943
The boat was attacked by a Beaufighter aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered slight damage.

7 Apr 1943
A British B-24 Liberator (86 Sqn RAF) dropped three depth charges which caused only minor damage, but two men were lost when the boat dived. [Oberbootsmaat Christian Wieland, Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Schädlich]

5 recorded attacks on this boat.