German submarine U-573

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U-573 was a German Type VIIC submarine used in World War II. Built in Hamburg, its keel was laid in June 1940, it was launched in April 1941 and commissioned in June 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Heinsohn, who commanded it throughout its Kriegsmarine career. The submarine carried the honorary name U-573 Landeck, linked to the Tyrolean town through a sponsorship program.

U-573 began training with the 3rd U-boat Flotilla and then joined front-line service with the 29th Flotilla in January 1942. It went on four war patrols and sank one merchant ship, the Norwegian Hellen (5,289 GRT), on 21 December 1941 in the Mediterranean.

On 29 April 1942, northwest of Algiers, U-573 was badly damaged by depth charges. It reached Cartagena, Spain, where it was interned on 2 May 1942. Because repairs would take too long, Germany sold the submarine to Spain on 2 August 1942. It became the Spanish Navy’s G-7, later renamed S-01 in 1961.

Repairs were completed in early 1947. G-7 was the most modern submarine in the Spanish fleet at the time, though it had no radar or snorkel. It served for many years and even appeared in a 1958 film.

In 1961 the boat was renamed S-01, and it remained in service until 2 May 1970, when it was decommissioned and sold for scrap after a long career.