List of all U-boats
U-253
Type | VIIC | |||||||||
| Ordered | 23 Sep 1939 | |||||||||
| Laid down | 15 Nov 1940 | Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack (werk 18) | ||||||||
| Launched | 30 Aug 1941 | |||||||||
| Commissioned | 21 Oct 1941 | Oblt. Adolf Friedrichs | ||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 1 patrol |
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| Successes | No ships sunk or damaged | |||||||||
| Fate |
Sunk on 25 September 1942 in the Denmark Strait north-west of Iceland, in approx. position 67.00N, 23.00W, by a British mine. 45 dead (all hands lost). (FDS/NHB, December 1979). | |||||||||
| Loss position | ||||||||||
U-253 reported for the last time on 24 September 1942 from the approximate position 67.30N, 21.00W while operating against convoy QP-14. The next day it was ordered to head to a new patrol area southeast of Cape Farewell through the Denmark Strait and was reported missing thereafter.
There is a strong possibility that the boat was lost to a mine in the anti-submarine minefields SN 11 or SN 71A north-west of Iceland on 25 September. These barrages were laid on 1 June and 21 August 1942 and crossed U-253's route into the North Atlantic.
Previously recorded fate
- Sunk by Catalina (Sqdn 210/U) on 23 Sep 1942. (Postwar assessment)
Notes. The aircraft in fact attacked U-255 which escaped relatively unharmed.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-253 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
U-boat Emblems
We have 1 emblem entry for this boat. See the emblem page for this boat or view emblems individually below.
 Man with Stick |
Media links
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