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U-571 Brief History of U-Boat U - 571. ( Please note this information is not
from the recent film U571.) This Type VIIC submarine, did exist and the facts
are as follows.
U - boat 571. Built by Blohm and Voss, Hamburg. Laid down on the
22nd May 1940 and launched 4th April 1941.
The U-Boat was commanded by KL Helmut Mohlmann from May 1941 until May 1943,
and then commanded by OL Gustav Lussow from May 1943 until the 28th of January
1944, when he and his entire crew were killed when U-571 was attacked by a
Sunderland from 461 Royal Australian Air Force flown by F/Lt R D Lucas. West of
Fastnet. Two depth Charges were dropped and the U-Boat Blew Up.
U-Boat 571 spent its operational life with 3 U-Flottille, based at Kiel and
La Pallice.
Ships Sunk, 7 ships plus one damaged.
 | 26th August 1941 damaged the Russian ships Marija Uljanova the ship was ran
aground but was a total loss |
| 29th March 1942 sank SS Hertford East of New York |
| 6th April1944 sank The Tanker MV Koll North east of Bermuda |
| 14th April 1944 sank the SS Margaret off Cape Hatteras |
| 7th June 1942, torpedoed and sank the SS Umtata just off Miami |
| 8th June 1942 badly damaged the Tanker J A Moffet Jr. The tanker was
later towed to harbour but was a total loss. |
| 9th June 1942 sank SS Nicholas Cuneo, south west of Key West |
| 15th June 1942, damaged the Oil Tanker MV Pennsylvania Sun in the Gulf of
Mexico |
| Other incidents of the the u-Boat 571 |
| 3rd of October 1942, U -571 joined the Panther group of U-Boats operating of
the west Coast of Ireland. |
She was slightly damaged by Norwegian Corvette Potentilla which was
protecting the convoy SC104
On the 30th October U-552 spotted the convoy SC107 and again on the 1st
of November 1942 the convoy was spotted by U-381 the convoy was attacked by the
U0-boats over three days and a total of fifteen ships had been sunk, with the
loss of 2 U-boats. U-571 has no luck with this convoy but was one of the last
boats to be driven away from the convoy finally by 120 squadron Liberators.
On the 8th of January 1943 U571 was driven off from attacking the convoy
TM1.by HMS Pimpernel. U571 had tried to attack two Norwegian tanks the MV Vanja
and MV Cliona. (The convoy did however lose seven tankers by other U-boat
attacks.)
On the 11th April 1943 U-571 along with U-84 made an unsuccessful attack on
Convoy ONS2, while shadowing another convoy ON176
On the 10th July 1943, U-571 was attacked by aircraft from 26th South
African Air Force squadron it is not known if any damaged was caused
On the 18th January 1944 U-571 unsuccessfully attacked an unknown Royal
naval Destroyer.
On the 28th January U-571 was sunk with the Loss off all hands. by a
Sunderland of 461 (RAAF) |
