German submarine U-363 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 23 December 1941 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg as yard number 482, launched on 17 December 1942 and commissioned on 18 March 1943 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wolf-Werner Wilzer.
During her career, the U-boat sailed on seven combat patrols, but sank no ships before she surrendered at Narvik on 9 May 1945. She was sunk on 31 December 1945 as part of Operation Deadlight.
She was a member of eight wolfpacks.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-363 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-363 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two twin 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
The boat's service life began with training with the 8th U-boat Flotilla on 18 March 1943. She was transferred to the 11th flotilla for operations on 1 June 1944. She was then reassigned to the 13th flotilla on 15 September.
She made a pair of short voyages from Kiel in Germany to Marvika and Bergen in Norway in May 1944.
The submarine's first patrol began with her departure from Bergen on 29 May 1944. She arrived at Bogenbucht (west of Narvik) on 29 June but departed again on 4 August. She finished her second patrol back at Narvik on 2 September 1944.
U-363 spent her third sortie in the Norwegian Sea.
Her fourth foray took her past the North Cape and into the Barents Sea.
For her fifth patrol, she sailed as far as the Kola Inlet, (the entrance to Murmansk).
Patrol number six was preceded by trips between Narvik, Trondheim and Kilbotn, (northwest of Narvik).
U-363s last patrol in April and May 1945 was followed by moves to Skjomenfjord and following the German capitulation, Lerwick and Loch Eriboll in Scotland in preparation for Operation Deadlight. She was sunk on 31 December 1945 by the guns of and .[1]