German submarine U-63 (1939)

German submarine U-63 was a Type IIC U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine that served in the Second World War. She was built by Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel. Ordered on 21 July 1937, she was laid down on 2 January 1939 as 'werk' 262. She was launched on 6 December 1939 and commissioned on 18 January 1940 under the command of Oberleutnant Günther Lorentz.

U-63 was initially assigned to the 1st U-boat Flotilla during her training period, until 1 February 1940. She stayed with that organization until her sinking.

Patrol
U-63 left the German island of Helgoland (also known as 'Heligoland'), on 17 February 1940. She, along with five other U-boats, took part in Operation Nordmark, a reconnaissance mission for the German capital ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Admiral Hipper (for what proved to be an unsuccessful sortie). It took place in the vicinity of the Orkney and Shetland Islands between 18 and 20 February.

The boat sank the Santos off Kirkwall, Orkney, on 24 February 1940.

Fate
U-63 was sunk by a mix of depth charges and torpedoes from the British warships HMS Escort, Inglefield and Imogen and the submarine HMS Narwhal south of Shetland.

One man died, there were 24 survivors. Those who survived spent the remainder of the war as POWs.