View source for German submarine U-571

{{Short description|German World War II submarine}}
{{About|the German submarine|the 2000 war film|U-571 (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
  | image= 
  | image_caption= 
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
  | hide_header= 
  | country=[[Nazi Germany]]
  | flag={{Shipboxflag|Nazi Germany|naval}}
  | name=''U-571'' 
  | namesake= 
  | ordered=24 October 1939
  | builder=[[Blohm & Voss]], Hamburg 
  | yard_number=547
  | laid_down=8 June 1940
  | launched= 4 April 1941
  | commissioned=22 May 1941
  | homeport= 
  | fate=Sunk on 28 January 1944
  | notes= 
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
  | hide_header= 
  | header_caption= 
  | class=[[German Type VII submarine|Type VIIC]] [[submarine]]
 |displacement=
*{{convert|769|t|LT|0|lk=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|871|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} submerged
*{{convert|1070|t|LT}} total
 |length=
*{{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[o/a]]
*{{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[pressure hull]]
 |beam=
*{{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a
*{{convert|4.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} pressure hull
 |draught={{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 |power=
*{{convert|2800|–|3200|PS|kW bhp|abbr=on}} (diesels)
*{{convert|750|PS|kW shp|abbr=on}} (electric)
 |propulsion=
*2 shafts
*2 × [[diesel engine]]s
*2 × [[Motor-generator|electric motors]]
 |test_depth={{convert|220|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 |speed=
*{{convert|17.7|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|7.6|kn}} submerged
 |range=
*{{convert|8,500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}}at {{convert|10|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|80|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged
 |complement=4 officers, 40–52 enlisted
 |armament=
*5 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (four bow, one stern)
*14 × torpedoes ''or'' 26 TMA [[Naval mine|mine]]s
*1 × [[8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun|{{convert|8.8|cm|in|2|abbr=on}} deck gun]] (220 rounds)
*1 x [[2 cm FlaK 30|{{convert|2|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} C/30]] AA gun
 |notes= 
 }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/service record
 |header_caption=Service record<ref name="uboatnet">{{cite web
 |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u571.htm
 |title=The Type VIIC boat U-571
 |last=Helgason
 |first=Guðmundur
 |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
 |access-date=7 October 2012
}}</ref>
 |partof=
*[[3rd U-boat Flotilla]]
*22 May 1941 – 28 January 1944
 |codes=M 42 483
 |commanders=
*''[[Kptlt.]]'' Helmut Möhlmann
*22 May 1941 – 31 May 1943
*''[[Oblt.z.S.]]'' Gustav Lüssow
*31 May 1943 – 28 January 1944
 |operations=*11 patrols:
             *1st patrol:
             *a. 18 – 27 August 1941
             *b. 28 August – 5 September 1941
             *c. 18 – 19 October 1941
             *2nd patrol:
             *22 October – 26 November 1941
             *3rd patrol:
             *21 December 1941 – 27 January 1942
             *4th patrol:
             *10 March – 7 May 1942
             *5th patrol:
             *11 June – 7 August 1942
             *6th patrol:
             *3 October – 14 November 1942
             *7th patrol:
             *22 December 1942 – 19 February 1943
             *8th patrol:
             *a. 22 – 23 March 1943
             *b. 25 March – 1 May 1943
             *9th patrol:
             *8 June – 1 September 1943 
             *10th patrol:
             *26 – 28 December 1943
             *11th patrol:
             *8–28 January 1944
 |victories=
*5 merchant ships sunk <br/>({{GRT|33,511}})
*1 merchant ship total loss <br/>({{GRT|9,788}})
*1 auxiliary warship total loss <br/>({{GRT|3,870}})
*1 merchant ship damaged <br/>({{GRT|11,394}})
 }}
}}

'''German submarine ''U-571''''' was a [[German Type VIIC submarine|Type VIIC]] [[U-boat]] built for the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' of [[Nazi Germany]] for service during [[World War II]]. ''U-571'' conducted eleven war patrols, sinking five ships totalling {{GRT|33,511|disp=long}}, and damaging one other for 11,394 GRT. On 28 January 1944 she was attacked by an Australian-crewed [[Short Sunderland|Sunderland]] aircraft from [[No. 461 Squadron RAAF]] west of Ireland and was destroyed by [[depth charge]]s. All hands were lost.

The fictional 2000 U.S. war film ''[[U-571 (film)|''U-571'']]'' has no relation to this U-boat, but is very loosely based on the British capture of {{GS|U-110|1940|2}} and her [[Enigma machine|Enigma]] and cipher [[key (cryptography)|keys]].

==Design==
[[German Type VII submarine#Type VIIC|German Type VIIC submarines]] were preceded by the shorter [[German Type VII submarine#Type VIIB|Type VIIB submarines]]. ''U-571'' had a displacement of {{convert|769|t|LT}} when at the surface and {{convert|871|t|LT}} while submerged.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} She had a total length of {{convert|67.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a [[pressure hull]] length of {{convert|50.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|6.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a height of {{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a [[draught (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|4.74|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. The submarine was powered by two [[Germaniawerft]] F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder [[supercharged]] [[diesel engine]]s producing a total of {{convert|2800 to 3200|PS|kW shp|-1}} for use while surfaced, two [[Brown, Boveri & Cie]] GG UB 720/8 [[Motor–generator|double-acting electric motors]] producing a total of {{convert|750|PS|kW shp}} for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two {{convert|1.23|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} [[propeller]]s. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to {{convert|230|m}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|17.7|kn}} and a maximum submerged speed of {{convert|7.6|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}} When submerged, the boat could operate for {{convert|80|nmi}} at {{convert|4|kn}}; when surfaced, she could travel {{convert|8500|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. ''U-571'' was fitted with five {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen [[torpedo]]es, one [[8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun|{{convert|8.8|cm|in|2|abbr=on}} SK C/35 naval gun]], 220 rounds, and a [[2 cm FlaK 30|{{convert|2|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} C/30]] anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a [[Ship's company|complement]] of between forty-four and sixty.{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=43–46}}

==Service history==

Her keel was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 8 June 1940 by [[Blohm & Voss]] of [[Hamburg]]. She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 22 May 1941 with ''Kapitänleutnant'' [[Helmut Möhlmann]] in command. Under his command ''U-571'' had nine successful patrols in the Arctic and in the North and Central Atlantic. In August and September 1941, ''U-571'' operated against Allied and Soviet forces, damaging the Soviet passenger vessel ''Marija Uljanova'' on 26 August.

In 1942, ''U-571'' operated off the east coast of the United States, sinking the British cargo ship {{SS|Hertford||2}} on 29 March, the [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Tanker (ship)|tanker]] M/T&nbsp;''Koll'' on 6 April off [[Cape Hatteras]], and the [[United States|American]] freighter [[USS Margaret (ID-2510)|''Margaret'']] on April 14 after the ship left [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]. Although ''U-571''’s log mentions that some of the 8&nbsp;officers and 21&nbsp;men managed to get into a lifeboat and onto rafts, none of ''Margaret''’s crew was ever seen again. In July 1942 the submarine operated in the Caribbean and torpedoed four ships: the [[United Kingdom|British]] freighter ''Umtata'' on 7 July, the American tanker, ''J. A. Moffett, Jr.'' on 8 July, the [[Honduras|Honduran]] freighter ''Nicholas Cuneo'' on 9 July and on 15 July the American tanker, ''Pennsylvania Sun''.[[File:Pennsylvania Sun.jpg|thumb|The tanker ''Pennsylvania Sun'', torpedoed by ''U-571'' on 15 July 1942 (was saved and returned to service in 1943)]]

The whole crew of ''J. A. Moffett, Jr.'' (35 [[United States Merchant Marine|merchant marine]] and 5&nbsp;[[United States Navy Armed Guard|Naval Armed Guard]]) abandoned ship into two lifeboats and three rafts, except for the master who was killed. The [[United States Coast Guard]] vessels ''Mary Jean'' and ''Southbound'' picked up the 39 survivors and brought them to [[Florida]]. When ''Pennsylvania Sun'' was torpedoed, two of the merchant crew died in the resulting explosion, but the rest of the 40 merchant marine crew and the 17 members of the Naval Armed Guard aboard survived after being rescued by {{USS|Dahlgren|DD-187|6}}. ''Pennsylvania Sun'' was later salvaged and returned to service, while the other three ships attacked in July were sunk.

On 22 March 1943, ''U-571'' was attacked by an aircraft in the North Atlantic and was damaged and had to return to base. In April 1943, Möhlmann claimed that he sank three additional ships but these could not be matched with records of Allied losses. On 22 April 1943, she had to return to base because the commander was badly injured in an accident on the conning tower. On 2 May 1943, Möhlmann was relieved by ''Oberleutnant zur See'' Gustav Lüssow. ''U-571'' patrolled off the west coast of Africa in July before returning to base on 1 September. Between September and December, ''U-571'' was probably being overhauled in a drydock as no mention of the boat for that time period appears in war diary kept by the German Commander in Chief, Submarines, Admiral [[Karl Dönitz]]. {{Speculation inline|date=August 2023}}

On 18 January 1944, Lüssow reported to his submarine command that he attacked and sank an unknown [[destroyer]]. This could not, however, be identified with any known Allied losses during [[World War II]].

===Fate===
On 28 January 1944 she was attacked by an Australian captained [[Short Sunderland|Sunderland]] aircraft from [[No. 461 Squadron RAAF]] west of Ireland and was destroyed by [[depth charge]]s.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MF9NAAAAMAAJ|title=German Warships of World War II|author=John Charles Taylor|year=1966|access-date=2008-06-02|publisher=Allan}}</ref> The aircraft's captain, Flight Lieutenant R. D. Lucas, reported that most of the crew successfully abandoned ship, but soon died from [[hypothermia]]. A dinghy was dropped but failed to open. ''U-571'' sank with all hands{{snd}}52 dead{{snd}}at {{coord|52|41|N|14|27|W|scale:10000000 |display=inline,title}}. She had not, until her loss, suffered any casualties to her crew during her entire career. The plane, ''EK577'' (callsign "D for Dog"), was crewed partly by [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) personnel and was based at [[RAF Pembroke Dock]], in [[Wales]]. The crew was Lucas, Sergeant (Sgt) J. R. Brannan (RAF, a Canadian), Flight Sergeant (F/Sgt) W. J. Darcey, Sgt D. Musson (RAF), F/Sgt S. T. Burnett, Sgt D. McWalker (RAF), Flying Officer (F/O) H. D. Roberts, F/Sgt G. H. Simmonds (RAF), F/O R. H. Prentice, and F/Sgt C. D. Bremner.

===Wolfpacks===
''U-571'' took part in 14 [[Wolfpack (naval tactic)|wolfpack]]s, namely:
* Stosstrupp (30 October – 4 November 1941) 
* Raubritter (4 – 17 November 1941) 
* Störtebecker (17 – 22 November 1941) 
* Seydlitz (27 December 1941 – 16 January 1942) 
* [[Wolf pack Endrass|Endrass]] (12 – 17 June 1942) 
* Panther (10 – 20 October 1942) 
* [[Wolfpack Veilchen|Veilchen]] (20 October – 7 November 1942) 
* Delphin (26 December 1942 – 19 January 1943) 
* Landsknecht (19 – 28 January 1943) 
* Without name (27 – 30 March 1943) 
* Adler (7 – 13 April 1943) 
* Meise (13 – 25 April 1943) 
* Rügen (15 – 26 January 1944) 
* Hinein (26 – 28 January 1944)

==Summary of raiding history==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|-
! Date
! Ship Name
! Nationality
! Tonnage<br/>([[Gross register tonnage|GRT]])
! Fate<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u571.html
 |title=Ships hit by U-571
 |last=Helgason
 |first=Guðmundur
 |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
 |access-date=2 February 2014
}}</ref>
|-
|align="right"|26 August 1941
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in August 1941#26 August|''Marija Uljanova'']]
|align="left" |{{navy|Soviet Union}}
|align="right"|3,870
|align="left" |Total loss
|-
|align="right"|29 March 1942
|align="left" |{{SS|Hertford||2}}
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|10,923
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|6 April 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1942#6 April|''Koll'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Norway}}
|align="right"|10,044
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|14 April 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in April 1942#14 April|''Margaret'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|3,352
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|7 July 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1942#7 July|''Umtata'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United Kingdom|civil}}
|align="right"|8,141
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|8 July 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1942#8 July|''J. A. Moffett, Jr.'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|9,788
|align="left" |Total loss
|-
|align="right"|9 July 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1942#9 July|''Nicholas Cuneo'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|Honduras}}
|align="right"|1,051
|align="left" |Sunk
|-
|align="right"|15 July 1942
|align="left" |[[List of shipwrecks in July 1942#15 July|''Pennsylvania Sun'']]
|align="left" |{{flag|United States|1912}}
|align="right"|11,394
|align="left" |damaged 
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book | last1 = Busch | first1 = Rainer | last2 = Röll | first2 = Hans-Joachim | translator-last = Brooks | translator-first = Geoffrey | title = German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary | publisher = Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press | location = London, Annapolis, Md | year = 1999 | isbn = 1-55750-186-6 }}
*{{cite book
|last1=Busch
|first1=Rainer
|last2=Röll
|first2=Hans-Joachim
|title=Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945
|trans-title=German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945
|series=Der U-Boot-Krieg
|volume=IV
|publisher=Mittler
|location=Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn
|year=1999
|isbn=3-8132-0514-2
|language=de
}}
*{{cite book
|last1=Gröner
|first1=Erich
|last2=Jung
|first2=Dieter
|last3=Maass
|first3=Martin
|translator-last1=Thomas
|translator-first1=Keith
|translator-last2=Magowan
|translator-first2=Rachel
|year=1991
|title=German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
|volume=2
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=0-85177-593-4
|ref=CITEREFGröner1991
}}
*{{cite book
|last1=Southall
|first1=Ivan
|year=1956
|title=They Shall Not Pass Unseen
|location=Sydney
|publisher=Angus and Robertson
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{Cite web
 |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u571.html
 |title=The Type VIIC boat U-571
 |last=Helgason
 |first=Guðmundur
 |website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
 |access-date=28 December 2014
}}
*{{cite web
 |url=http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0571.html
 |title=''U 571''
 |last=Hofmann
 |first=Markus
 |website=Deutsche U-Boote 1935–1945 – u-boot-archiv.de
 |language=de
 |access-date=29 December 2014
}}

{{German Type VII submarines}}
{{January 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:U0571}}
[[Category:German Type VIIC submarines]]
[[Category:U-boats commissioned in 1941]]
[[Category:U-boats sunk in 1944]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of Germany]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Hamburg]]
[[Category:U-boats sunk by Australian aircraft]]
[[Category:U-boats sunk by depth charges]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Ireland]]
[[Category:U-boats lost with all hands]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1944]]