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[1] |
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 F46 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 (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
Range: |
15,170 km (8,190 nmi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 150 km (81 nmi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
Complement: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
Armament: |
5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × G7e torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) Various AA guns |
Service record[2][3] | |
---|---|
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 Nazi Germany's 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 the 8th U-boat Flotilla for training and later served operationally with the 6th U-boat Flotilla from 1 to 25 September 1942. U-253 completed one patrol but did not sink any ships.
U-253 was sunk with all hands on 25 September 1942 in the Denmark Strait, northwest of Iceland, at 66°59′59.9″N 23°0′0″W / 66.999972°N 23.00000°WCoordinates: 66°59′59.9″N 23°0′0″W / 66.999972°N 23.00000°W. The cause of U-253's loss is not clear, but believed to be a British mine.[4]
References
- Notes
- ↑ Kemp, Paul: U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars, 1999, Arms & Armour, ISBN 1-85409-515-3, p. 90.
- ↑ "The Type VIIC boat U-253 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ↑ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-253 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Kemp, p. 90.
- Bibliography
- U-253 at uboat.net
- U-253 at ubootwaffe.net
- Bishop, C. Kriegsmarine U-Boats, 1939-45. Amber Books, 2006.
External links
- U-253 at u-boot-archiv.de (German)
See also
- List of German U-boats
- List of successful U-boats
|