German submarine U-253

Career
Name: U-253
Ordered: 23 September 1939
Builder: Bremer Vulkan, Bremen-Vegesack
Yard number: 18
Laid down: 15 November 1940
Launched: 30 August 1941
Commissioned: 21 October 1941
Fate: Sunk, 25 September 1942
General characteristics
Type: Type VIIC submarine
Displacement: 769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced
871 t (857 long tons) submerged
Length: 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a
50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull
Beam: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a
4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draft: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion: 2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490
2 × electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296
Speed: 17.7 knots (20.4 mph; 32.8 km/h) surfaced
7.6 knots (8.7 mph; 14.1 km/h) submerged
Range: 15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced
150 km (81 nmi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement: 44–52 officers & ratings
Armament: • 5 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)
• 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines
• 1 × C35 88mm gun/L45 deck gun (220 rounds)
• Various AA guns
Service record[1][2]
Part of: 8th U-boat Flotilla
(21 October 1941–31 August 1942)
6th U-boat Flotilla
(1–25 September 1942)
Commanders: Kptlt. Adolf Friedrichs
(21 October 1941–25 September 1942)
Operations: 1st patrol: 12–25 September 1942
Victories: None

German submarine U-253 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

The U-boat was laid down 15 November 1940 at the Bremer Vulkan yard in Bremen-Vegesack, launched on 30 August 1941, and commissioned on 21 October 1941. U-253 served with 8th U-boat Flotilla for training and later served operationally with 6th U-boat Flotilla from 1 to 25 September 1942. U-253 completed one patrol and did not sink any ships.

U-253 was sunk with all hands on 25 September 1942 in the Denmark Strait, northwest of Iceland, at . The cause of U-253's loss is not clear, but believed to be a British mine.

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