were preceded by the smaller Type VIIB submarines. U-568 had a displacement of while surfaced and while submerged. She had a total length of, a hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was designed to be 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-568 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty, and surrendered with 47 on board.
Construction and career
U-568 was ordered on 24 October 1939 and laid down six months later. It was launched on 6 March 1941. On 1 May 1941, it was commissioned; it started training the same day as part of 3. Flottile. The submarine completed training on 1 August 1941 and was placed under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Preuss, who had already conducted five patrols with U-10.
First patrol
U-568 departed Trondheim on 3 August 1941 and was assigned to U-boatWolfpack Grönland in the North Atlantic Ocean, arriving there a week later. On 12 August, the submarine attacked Convoy ON 4, firing two torpedoes at a "tanker" and convoy escort Flower-class corvette . The torpedo fired at the "tanker" went wide, but Preuss observed how the corvette "sinks immediately as her depth charges detonate ". All hands on board Picobee were killed in action. Other escorts stopped and held the U-boat down while the rest of the convoy escaped. Afterwards, U-568 had short stints with Woflpacks Kurfürst and Seewolf, arriving at homeport Saint-Nazaire on 10 September 1941.
Second patrol
U-568 embarked on her second patrol on 9 October 1941. On her way west into the Atlantic, she attacked Convoy SC 48 on 16 October 1941, sinking the steam merchant ship Empire Heron with two torpedoes and killing forty-two on board. The next day, she fired a spread of four torpedoes at the United States Navydestroyer . One torpedo hit the ship starboard, killing 11 sailors. Sighted by, U-568 attempted to escape the escorts by sailing under cover of a rain squall, but was pursued. The submarine attempted to sink Pictou with a torpedo, but it passed to port and missed. Afterwards, the U-boat retreated. The Kearny incident was falsely cited by Adolf Hitler as being reasoning for Nazi Germany declaring war against the United States, with Hitler presenting the action as starting with the Kearny attacking U-568 with depth charges. Between 21 and 31 October 1941, U-568 was part of Wolfpack Reissewolf. After her attack on Convoy SC 48, the remainder of her patrol was routine, and she arrived at Saint-Nazaire on 7 November 1941.
U-568 was sunk on 29 May 1942 in the Mediterranean Sea NE of Tobruk in position, by Royal Navy vessels, the destroyer, and escort destroyers and. All 47 hands survived.
