Page "U-571 (film)" Paragraph 2

The real U-571 was never involved in any such events, was not captured, and was in fact sunk in January 1944, off Ireland, by a Short Sunderland flying boat from No. 461 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.

The real U-570 was captured almost intact by the Royal Navy in 1941, although not before her crew had destroyed almost all the secret materials on board.