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:	15 February 1941
Commissioned:	27 March 1941
Fate:	Sunk in the Bay of Biscay by Allied aircraft, 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) various AA guns
Service record
Part of:	5th U-boat Flotilla 27 September 1941 – 31 January 1942 7th U-boat Flotilla 1 February – 30 June 1942 11th U-boat Flotilla 1 July – 31 August 1942 6th U-boat Flotilla 1 September 1942 – 26 May 1943
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:	1st patrol: 31 July – 10 September 1941 2nd patrol: 4 October – 1 November 1941 3rd patrol: 29 November – 3 December 1941 4th patrol: 21 January – 3 February 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:	Three ships sunk, total 14,689 GRT; one warship sunk - 1,870 tons; two ships damaged, total 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 GRT. 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, in May 1943.

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-563 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).

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