German submarine U-569 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out nine patrols, sank one ship of and damaged one other of 4,458 GRT.
She was a member of 15 wolfpacks.
She was attacked by US carrier-borne aircraft from in mid-Atlantic on 22 May 1943 and surrendered, but was scuttled and abandoned when help arrived.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-569 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 Brown, Boveri & Cie 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-569 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 submarine was laid down on 21 May 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 545, launched on 20 March 1941 and commissioned on 8 May under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans-Peter Hinsch.
She served with the 3rd U-boat Flotilla from 1 August 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations until her loss from 1 August 1941 to 22 May 1943.
U-569s first patrol was from Trondheim in Norway, she headed for the Atlantic Ocean via the gap separating Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She arrived at St. Nazaire in occupied France, on 21 September 1941.
Having left St. Nazaire on 12 October 1941, U-569 made for the Newfoundland and Labrador coast. She returned to her French base on 12 November.
The submarine was attacked by a Fairey Swordfish west of Gibraltar on 16 December 1941. She, along with four other U-boats, was to have operated in the Mediterranean, but the damage was such that she had to return to St. Nazaire.[1]
U-569 sank the Hengist on 8 March 1942 northwest of Cape Wrath (Scotland)[2] and returned to France (La Pallice), on 2 April 1942.
On her fifth sortie, she damaged the Pontypridd northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland, on 11 June 1942 and took the master prisoner. She returned to La Pallice on the 28th.
The boat was attacked by the Norwegian corvette HNoMS Potentilla on 25 August 1942. The warship lost the element of surprise and her intention to ram when her 4 in gun opened fire prematurely. Several hits were scored on the conning tower by 20mm AA guns, but the larger weapon failed to register in the encounter in mid-Atlantic.
The boat's seventh patrol was relatively peaceful with no contacts.
U-569 was attacked by the escorts of Convoy UC-1 on 23 February 1943 and seriously damaged. She had departed La Pallice on 7 February 1943 and returned there on 13 March.
The boat was badly damaged by depth charges dropped by a TBM Avenger, piloted by William F. Chamberlain, from the escort carrier on 22 May 1943. A relief Avenger also from USS Bogue, piloted by Howard S. Roberts, was waiting overhead when the U-boat resurfaced. Roberts dropped more depth charges and machine-gunned the bridge to prevent the German crew from manning the antiaircraft guns. U-boat Commander Johannsen had no intention of fighting back and, according to American records ordered his crew to raise a white flag on the periscope. Upon seeing this, Roberts ceased his attack and guided the Canadian destroyer to the area. As the destroyer approached, Johannsen ordered his crew to scuttle the boat and jump overboard. St. Laurent rescued Johannsen and 24 of his crew of 46 and the survivors were sent to Washington for interrogation.[3]
U-569 took part in 15 wolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 March 1942 | Hengist |  United Kingdom | 984 | Sunk | |
| 11 June 1942 | Pontypridd | United Kingdom | 4,458 | Damaged |