Deathcard of U-Boot Crewmember – U-Boot “U-520” (Sunk by Canadian Digby aircraft)

Original WWII death card (Sterbebild) for Josef Schillinger, a crew member of the German submarine U-520.

Service & Fate:
Schillinger served aboard U-520, a Type IXC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine. On 30 October 1942, the submarine was sunk in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, at position 47.47N, 49.50W, by depth charges from a Canadian Digby aircraft (No. 10 Squadron RCAF/Z). The entire crew of 53 men perished — all hands lost.

Item Details:

• Original wartime Sterbebild memorial card.

• Commemorates a sailor lost with his boat during the Battle of the Atlantic.

• Condition: As seen, with period patina and age wear.

Historical Context – U-520:

• Type: Type IXC U-boat, designed for long-range patrols in distant waters.

• Patrols: Operated in the Atlantic during 1942, a period of high U-boat activity against Allied shipping.

• Loss: The sinking by Canadian forces highlights the growing effectiveness of Allied anti-submarine warfare in the Northwest Atlantic by late 1942.

• Casualties: All 53 crew members lost, making this Sterbebild a poignant remembrance of the human cost of submarine warfare.

Collector’s Note:
Death cards from U-boat crew members are especially collectible when connected to boats that suffered the fate of total loss at sea. This Sterbebild for Josef Schillinger of U-520 preserves the personal memory of one of the 53 sailors who perished, making it a rare and historically significant piece for collectors of Kriegsmarine and Battle of the Atlantic memorabilia.