German submarine U-565 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.She was laid down on 30 March 1940 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 541, launched on 20 February 1941 and commissioned on 10 April 1941 under Oberleutnant Johann Jebsen.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-565 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 BBC GG UB 720/8 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-565 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 a 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
The boat's service began on 10 April 1941 with training as part of the 1st U-boat Flotilla. She was transferred to the 29th flotilla on 1 January 1942 in the Mediterranean where she remained until being scuttled in 1944. In 20 patrols she sank three merchant ships, for a total of, plus two warships sunk and another two merchant ships damaged.
She took part in two wolfpacks, namely:
U-565 was badly damaged by bombs dropped by US aircraft on 19 and 24 September 1944 in the Mediterranean near Skaramanga in Greece. She was scuttled on 30 September 1944 at Skaramanga Bay.
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[1] | Fate[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 March 1942 | 5,450 | Sunk | |||
| 23 April 1942 | Kirkland |  United Kingdom | 1,361 | Sunk | |
| 18 December 1942 | 1,540 | Sunk | |||
| 24 February 1943 | Nathanael Greene |  United States | 7,176 | Damaged | |
| 27 February 1943 | Seminole | United Kingdom | 10,389 | Damaged | |
| 20 April 1943 | Michigan | United States | 5,594 | Sunk | |
| 20 April 1943 | Sidi-Bel-Abbès | 4,392 | Sunk |