German submarine U-562

German submarine U-562
Career (Nazi Germany)
Name:	U-562
Ordered:	16 October 1939
Builder:	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number:	538
Laid down:	7 February 1940
Launched:	24 January 1941
Commissioned:	20 March 1941
Fate:	Sunk 19 February 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Bengazi in position 32°57′N 20°54′E, by a RAF Wellington aircraft and RN ships HMS Isis and HMS Hursley.
General characteristics
Class & 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:	1st U-boat Flotilla 20 March – 1 June 1941 - Training 1st U-boat Flotilla 1 June – 31 December 1941 29th U-boat Flotilla 1 January 1942 – 19 February 1943
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Herwig Collmann 20 March – 3 September 1941 Kptlt. Horst Hamm 4 September 1941 – 19 February 1943
Operations:	1st patrol: 19 June – 30 July 1941 2nd patrol: 25 August – 3 September 1941 3rd patrol: 11 September – 15 October 1941 4th patrol: 17 November – 6 December 1941 5th patrol: 6–29 December 1941 6th patrol: 4 April – 11 May 1942 7th patrol: 22 June – 25 July 1942 8th patrol: 5 September – 18 October 1942 9th patrol: 22 November – 24 December 1942 10th patrol: 7–19 February 1943
Victories:	6 merchant ships sunk (37,287 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (3,359 GRT)

German submarine U-562 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 7 February 1940 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg as yard number 538, launched on 24 January 1941 and commissioned on 20 March 1941 under Oberleutnant zur See Herwig Collmann.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-562 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).

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-562 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

The boat's service began on 20 March 1941 with training as part of the 1st U-boat Flotilla. She transferred to the 29th Flotilla on 1 January 1942 for active service, in the Mediterranean.

In ten patrols she sank six merchant ships, for a total of 37,287 gross register tons (GRT), plus one ship damaged.

Fate

U-562 was sunk on 19 February 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Bengazi in position 32°57′N 20°54′E, by a RAF Wellington bomber of 38 Squadron together with Royal Navy vessels, the destroyer HMS Isis and destroyer escort HMS Hursley. All 49 hands were lost.

Wolfpacks

U-562 took part in two wolfpacks, namely

• Bosemüller (28 August – 2 September 1941)
• Brandenburg (15 September – 2 October 1941)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate
22 September 1941	Erna III	United Kingdom	1,590	Sunk
2 October 1941	Empire Wave	United Kingdom	7,463	Sunk
2 December 1941	Grelhead	United Kingdom	4,274	Sunk
29 April 1942	Alliance	United Kingdom	81	Sunk
14 July 1942	Adinda	Netherlands	3,359	Damaged
21 December 1942	Strathallan	United Kingdom	23,722	Sunk

See also

• Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)

Bibliography

• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6. 
• Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999) (in German). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2. 
• Gröner, Erich (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. 2. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4. 
• Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9. 

External links

• Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-562". http://uboat.net/boats/u562.html. Retrieved 28 December 2014.