German submarine U-953
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-953 |
Ordered | 10 April 1941 |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
Yard number | 153 |
Laid down | 10 February 1942 |
Launched | 28 October 1942 |
Commissioned | 17 December 1942 |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record[1][2] | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 49 558 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-953 was a
.The submarine was
After training with the
Design
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).
Service history
First patrol
U-953 first sailed from Kiel on 13 May 1943, and out into the mid-Atlantic. She had no successes, and on 9 July was attacked by an aircraft, which killed one crewman and wounded two others. The U-boat arrived at La Pallice on 22 July after 71 days on patrol.[4]
Second and third patrols
U-953's second Atlantic patrol from 2 October until 17 November 1943 was uneventful,[5] but her next, which began on 26 December 1943 and took her to the waters off North Africa, was. On 11 January 1944 the U-boat fired a T-5 homing torpedo at a corvette, missed, and was then hunted for the next 13 hours by escort ships equipped with depth charges and hedgehogs. About 4 February the U-boat approached Convoy ON 222, but was attacked by an unknown Allied aircraft.[6]
Fourth to sixth patrols
After being fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus, the U-boat's next three patrols from March to June 1944 were short, from 3 to 13 days and uneventful.[2]
Seventh patrol
U-953 sailed on 24 June 1944 from Brest into the English Channel.
Eighth to tenth patrols
Under her new commander, Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Werner, U-953 sailed from Brest on 12 August 1944, arriving at La Pallice on 19 August.[7]
On 31 August U-953 left La Pallice for Norway, sailing round the Atlantic coast of Ireland. She patrolled the entrance to North Channel for seven days, but has no success. Werner reports a fault on the submarine snorkel caused the patrol to be abandoned[8] and U-953 arrived at Bergen "unannounced" on 11 October.[9][10]
Faults and a need for overhaul caused her to be sent to Germany, arriving at Flensburg on 25 October. She was not ready for further service until February 1945.
U-953 left Kiel on 4 February 1945, arriving at Kristiansand and then Bergen. On 21 February she left Bergen on an offensive patrol off the coast of Britain but, Werner reports, various faults culminating in a faulty torpedo tube door, forced a return once more.[11] U-953 arrived back in Bergen on 3 April 1945.[12]
Under a new commander, Oberleutnant zur See Erich Steinbrink,[1] she was moved from there to Trondheim on 6 April arriving three days later; there she remained until the German capitulation and she was surrendered to British forces.[13]
Wolfpacks
U-953 took part in seven wolfpacks, namely:
- Trutz (1 – 16 June 1943)
- Trutz 2 (16 – 29 June 1943)
- Geier 2 (30 June – 15 July 1943)
- Schill (25 October – 16 November 1943)
- Borkum (1 – 3 January 1944)
- Borkum 3 (3 – 13 January 1944)
- Dragoner (22 – 28 May 1944)
Fate
On 29 May 1945, U-953 sailed to
References
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-953". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-953". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-953 from 13 May 1943 to 22 Jul 1943". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-953 from 2 Oct 1943 to 17 Nov 1943". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of U-boat U-953 from 26 Dec 1943 to 20 Feb 1944". U-boat patrols - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of German U-boat U-953 from 10 Aug 1944 to 19 Aug 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ Werner 1999, p. 265.
- ^ Blair 1998, p. 618.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of German U-boat U-953 from 31 Aug 1944 to 11 Oct 1944". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ Werner 1999, p. 294.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patrol of German U-boat U-953 from 21 Feb 1945 to 3 Apr 1945". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ Blair 1998, p. 818.
- ^ Neistlé 2014, p. 94.
Sources
- Bishop, Chris (2006). Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939–45. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-904687-96-2.
- ISBN 0-304-35261-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Neistlé, Axel (2014). German U-Boat Losses during World War II: Details of Destruction (2 ed.). Havertown: Frontline Books (published 30 June 2014).
- ISBN 978-0-3043-5330-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-953". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- "U-Boats, Churchill's Worst Nightmare" 3 DVD set; includes interviews with Captain Werner (U-953)