German submarine U-553

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from U-553)
Jump to: navigation, search
Career (Nazi Germany) Kriegsmarine Jack
Name: U-553
Ordered: 25 September 1939
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number: 529
Laid down: 21 November 1939
Launched: 7 November 1940
Commissioned: 23 December 1940
Fate: Missing, presumed sunk, in the mid North Atlantic on 20 January 1943. All hands lost.
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
Part of: Kriegsmarine 7th U-boat Flotilla (Training)
1940-12-23

7th U-boat Flotilla (Front Boat)
1941-04-01
3rd U-boat Flotilla (Training)
1942-12-01 - 1943-01-20
Identification codes: M 23 789
Commanders: Kptlt. Karl Thurmann
1940-12-23 — 1943-01-20
Operations: 10 patrols
Victories: 14 ships sunk for a total of 71,779 gross register tons (GRT)

1 ship damaged for a total of 8,106 GRT

German submarine U-553 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.

Contents

[edit] History

Her keel was laid down 21 November 1939, by Blohm + Voss of Hamburg. She was commissioned 23 December 1940, with Kapitänleutnant Karl Thurmann in command. Thurmann commanded her for her entire career.

On 25 April 1941 major engine trouble forced U-553 to return to base.

On 20 January 1943, U-553 sent a radio message: "Sehrohr unklar" (periscope unready for action), and was never heard from again. She had suffered no casualties to her crew until lost with all hands.

[edit] Ships sunk

U-553 conducted ten patrols, sinking 14 ships totalling 71,779 tons and damaging one other totalling 8,106 tons.

  • SS Susan Maersk (2,355 GRT), sunk 12 June 1941.[1]
  • SS Ranella (5,590 GRT), sunk 12 June 1941.[2]
  • SS Ila (1,583 GRT), sunk October 1941.[3]
  • MV Silvercedar (4,354 GRT), sunk 15 October 1941.[4]
  • SS Bold Venture (3,222 GRT), sunk 17 October 1941.[5]
  • MV Diala (8,106 GRT), damaged 15 January 1942.[6]
  • SS Innerøy (8,260 GRT), sunk 22 January 1942.[7]
  • SS Leto (4,712 GRT), sunk 12 May 1942.[8]
  • SS Nicoya (5,364 GRT), sunk 12 May 1942.[9]
  • MV Mattawin (6,919 GRT), sunk 2 June 1942.[10]
  • SS Belgian Soldier (7,167 GRT), sunk 3 August 1942.[11]
  • MV Blankaholm (2,845 GRT), sunk 18 August 1942.[12]
  • MV Empire Bede (6,959 GRT), damaged 18 August 1942,[13] sunk by gunfire from HMS Pimpernel.[14]
  • SS John Hancock (7,176 GRT), sunk 18 August 1942.[15]
  • MV Charles L D (5,273 GRT), sunk 9 December 1942.[16]

[edit] U-553 in fiction

Neal Stephenson's novel Cryptonomicon includes a fictitious U-553 which runs aground about ten miles north of Qwghlm, a fictional pair of islands, Inner Qwghlm and Outer Qwghlm, off the northwestern coast of Great Britain.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Ship Details: Susan Maersk". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=2. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  2. ^ "Ship Details: Ranella". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=1. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  3. ^ "Ship Details: Ila". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=3. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  4. ^ "Ship Details: Silvercedar". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=4. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  5. ^ "Ship Details: Bold Venture". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=5. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  6. ^ "Ship Details: Diala". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=6. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  7. ^ "U-553". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  8. ^ "Ship Details: Leto". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=7. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  9. ^ "Ship Details: Nicoya". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=8. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  10. ^ "Ship Details: Mattawin". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=9. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  11. ^ "Ship Details: Belgian Soldier". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=10. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  12. ^ "Ship Details: Blankaholm". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=13. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  13. ^ "Ship Details: Empire Bede". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=12. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  14. ^ "Empire Bede". Uboat. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2065.html. Retrieved 29 October 2009.  (classed as sunk by U-553)
  15. ^ "Ship Details: John Hancock". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=11. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  16. ^ "Ship Details: Charles L D". Ubootwaffe. http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=553;nr=14. Retrieved 29 October 2009. 

[edit] Sources

[edit] See also

List of U-boats

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_submarine_U-553&oldid=469311818"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages