German submarine U-574

German submarine U-574 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II.

She carried out one patrol and sank one warship of 1,190 tons.

She was a member of two wolfpacks.

She was sunk west of Portugal, in December 1941.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 15 June 1940 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as 'werk' 550, launched on 12 April 1941 and commissioned on 12 June under the command of Oberleutnant Dietrich Gengelbach.

She served with the 1st U-boat Flotilla from 12 June 1941 for training and stayed with that organization for operations until her loss, from 1 November 1941 to 19 December.

Patrol and loss
The boat departed Kiel on 8 November 1941, moved through the North Sea, negotiated the 'gap' between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

She was sunk near Punta Delgada by depth charges and ramming by the British sloop HMS Stork. The boat was scuttled; the captain refused to leave the submarine and went down with her.

Twenty-eight men died; there were 16 survivors.