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</script> </div> <div align="center"> <h3><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a></h3><h1>U-563</h1> </div> <div align="center"> <table class="table_subtle width650"><tr> <td class="width100"><h3>Type</h3></td><td class="width95" align="center" class="seperator"><h3><a href="/types/viic.htm" class="header">VIIC</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">24 Oct 1939</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">30 Mar 1940</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/blohm.htm">Blohm & Voss, Hamburg</a> (werk 539)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">5 Feb 1941</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">27 Mar 1941</td><td class="seperator">Oblt. <a href=/men/bargsten.htm>Klaus Bargsten</a> (<a href=/men/decorations/ritter.htm>Knights Cross</a>)</td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">27 Mar 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">15 Mar 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/bargsten.htm"> Klaus Heinrich Bargsten</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Apr 1942</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">16 May 1943</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/426.html"> G枚tz von Hartmann</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">21 May 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">31 May 1943</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/105.html"> Gustav Borchardt</a></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u563.html">8 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">27 Mar 1941</td><td>-</td><td class="right">1 Jul 1941</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (training)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jul 1941</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 May 1943</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/1flo.htm">1. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,689 GRT<br/>1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons<br/>2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,266 GRT</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p>Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic north-west of <a href="/maps/biscay.htm">Cape Ortegal</a>, Spain, in position 46.35N, 10.40W, by depth charges from a British <a href="/allies/aircraft/halifax.htm">Halifax</a> (58 Sqn RAF/R), a British <a href="/allies/aircraft/sunderland.htm">Sunderland</a> (228 Sqn RAF/X) and an Australian <a href="/allies/aircraft/sunderland.htm">Sunderland</a> aircraft (10 Sqn RAAF/E). 49 dead (all hands lost).</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>Loss position</td> <td colspan="3"> <style media="screen" type="text/css"> #mapFate {width:510px; height: 270px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;} </style> <div id="mapFate" align="center"></div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> var mymap = L.map('mapFate').setView([47.35, -10.40], 4) L.tileLayer('/map-tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', { attribution: 'map 漏 OpenStreetMap contributors | ship info by uboat.net', maxZoom: 10, }).addTo(mymap); var iconFate = L.icon({ iconUrl: '/media/maps/googlemarkers/orange_Marker.png', iconSize: [20, 34], iconAnchor: [10, 34], }); var marker = L.marker([46.58, -10.67], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-563</strong>. Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic north-west of <a href=\"/maps/biscay.htm\">Cape Ortegal</a>, Spain, in position 46.35N, 10.40W, by depth charges from a British <a href=\"/allies/aircraft/halifax.htm\">Halifax</a> (58 Sqn RAF/R), a British <a href=\"/allies/aircraft/sunderland.htm\">Sunderland</a> (228 Sqn RAF/X) and an Australian <a href=\"/allies/aircraft/sunderland.htm\">Sunderland</a> aircraft (10 Sqn RAAF/E).'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/successes/u563.html">See the 6 ships hit by U-563</a> - <a href="/boats/patrols/u563.html">View the 8 war patrols</a><br></p> </div> <h3>Wolfpack operations</h3> <p>U-563 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career: <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/208.html">Gr枚nland</a> (10 Aug 1941 - 23 Aug 1941) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/7.html">Kurf眉rst</a> (23 Aug 1941 - 2 Sep 1941) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/8.html">Seewolf</a> (2 Sep 1941 - 7 Sep 1941) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/11.html">Breslau</a> (4 Oct 1941 - 29 Oct 1941) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/51.html">Panther</a> (11 Oct 1942 - 16 Oct 1942) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/53.html">Puma</a> (16 Oct 1942 - 29 Oct 1942) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/70.html">Falke</a> (28 Dec 1942 - 5 Jan 1943) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/101.html">L枚wenherz</a> (1 Apr 1943 - 10 Apr 1943) <br>   <a href="/ops/wolfpacks/103.html">Lerche</a> (10 Apr 1943 - 16 Apr 1943) </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>5 Oct 1941</strong><br/>10.30 hrs, <a href="/maps/biscay.htm">Bay of Biscay</a>, outbound: Blenheim Z7406 (1404 MetFlt RAF/A, pilot P/O Jack Coleman) made a dive bomb attack, but had to circle to lose height and by mistake only dropped one instead of both 250lb A/S bombs on the diving U-563, causing no damage. The Blenheim then proceeded to patrol ahead of the original course of U-563, but instead came across <a href="/boats/u565.htm">U-565</a>. <cite>(Sources: KTB U-563/ADM 199-1782)</cite></p> <p><strong>25 Oct 1941</strong><br/>While preparing to attack convoy <a href="/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=HG-75">HG 75</a> the boat was attacked by one of the escorts, the British corvette <a href="/allies/warships/ship/4768.html">HMS Heliotrope (K 03)</a>. The boat was driven under but not damaged by the depth charges dropped by the corvette.</p> <p><strong>30 Nov 1941</strong><br/><a href="/maps/biscay.htm">Bay of Biscay</a>, outbound from Brest, France: the boat was attacked by a British <a href="/allies/aircraft/whitley.htm">Whitley</a> bomber (502 Sqn RAF, pilot W.W. Cave), which dropped six depth charges that damaged to boat so much she was unable to dive. The aircraft then strafed the boat, wounding the commander in the shoulder. U-563 reached <a href="/flotillas/bases/lorient.htm">Lorient</a> on 3 Dec, but was so severely damaged she had to return to Germany to be rebuilt. <cite>(Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 401)</cite></p> <p><strong>22 Mar 1943</strong><br/>The boat was attacked by a Beaufighter aircraft in the North Atlantic and suffered slight damage.</p> <p><strong>7 Apr 1943</strong><br/>A British <a href="/allies/aircraft/b24.htm">B-24 Liberator</a> (86 Sqn RAF) dropped three depth charges which caused only minor damage, but two men were lost when the boat dived. [Oberbootsmaat Christian Wieland, Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Sch盲dlich]</p> <p>5 recorded attacks on this boat.</p> </div> <div align="center"> <h3>Men lost from the boat</h3></div> <p><strong>7 Apr 1943</strong><br>A British <a href="/allies/aircraft/b24.htm">B-24 Liberator</a> (86 Sqn RAF) dropped three depth charges which caused only minor damage, but two men were lost when the boat dived. [Oberbootsmaat Christian Wieland, Matrosengefreiter Rudolf Sch盲dlich]</p> <p>  <strong>Related:</strong> For more info on such losses see - <a href="/men/men_lost.htm">Men lost from U-boats</a> -</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 2 <strong>emblem</strong> entries for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u563.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem138.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/u563_2.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Devil with Torpedo</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem139.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/u563.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Globe</a></td> </tr></table><br> <div align="center"> <h3>Media links</h3> <table> <tr> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/2388"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/184832118X.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Attack Logs</a><br>Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor</p><div class="left"><br> <img src="/media/images/flags/small/flag-uk_s.gif" alt="" /> <a href="/about/scripts/amazon_co_uk.php?book=184832118X&path=/boats/u563.htm">amazon.co.uk</a> <br>(拢 38.25)</div></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/525"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/german_u-boat_losses.jpg" alt="" /> <br>German U-Boat Losses During World War II</a><br>Niestle, Axel</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/538"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/270"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boat_operations2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2</a><br>Wynn, Kenneth</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/537"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/1835"><img src="/media/books/images/no_cover.gif" alt="" /> <br>Maritime Is Number Ten - The Sunderland Era 1939-45</a><br>Baff, K.C. (Flight Lieutenant)</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <br><br>  <p class='center'><br/>As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.</p> <div class="adSeperator"></div> <div id="ga_contentFooter728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="7580936821"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div><br> </div>  <div id="footer"> <div id="footer_navcontainer"> <ul id="footer_navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Front page</a></li> <li><a href="/about/" title="About uboat.net">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about/contact.htm" title="Contact us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/special/faq.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.htm" title="Glossary pages">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/new.htm" title="What's new at uboat.net">What's new</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer_copyright">  © 1995 - 2025 Guðmundur Helgason </div> </div>  </div>  </body></html>