U-653

Type

VIIC

Ordered

9 Oct 1939

Laid down

9 Apr 1940

Howaldtswerke Hamburg AG, Hamburg (werk 802)

Launched

22 Mar 1941

Commissioned

25 May 1941

Kptlt. Gerhard Feiler

Commanders

25 May 1941	-	30 Sep 1943		Kptlt. Gerhard Feiler (German Cross in Gold)
1 Oct 1943	-	15 Mar 1944		Oblt. Hans-Albrecht Kandler

Career
9 patrols

25 May 1941	-	1 Dec 1941	1. Flottille (training)
1 Dec 1941	-	15 Mar 1944	1. Flottille (active service)

Successes

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,983 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 840 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 9,382 GRT

Fate

Sunk on 15 March 1944 in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, in position 53.46N, 24.35W, by depth charges from a Swordfish aircraft (825 Sqn FAA/A) of the British escort carrier HMS Vindex and from the British sloops HMS Starling and HMS Wild Goose. 51 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 5 ships hit by U-653 - View the 9 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-653 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Pfadfinder (21 May 1942 - 27 May 1942)
   Blücher (14 Aug 1942 - 18 Aug 1942)
   Natter (2 Nov 1942 - 8 Nov 1942)
   Westwall (8 Nov 1942 - 16 Dec 1942)
   Hartherz (3 Feb 1943 - 7 Feb 1943)
   Ritter (11 Feb 1943 - 26 Feb 1943)
   Burggraf (4 Mar 1943 - 5 Mar 1943)
   Raubgraf (7 Mar 1943 - 15 Mar 1943)
   Coronel (4 Dec 1943 - 8 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 1 (8 Dec 1943 - 14 Dec 1943)
   Coronel 2 (14 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
   Föhr (18 Dec 1943 - 23 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 6 (23 Dec 1943 - 28 Dec 1943)
   Rügen 7 (28 Dec 1943 - 2 Jan 1944)
   Rügen 6 (2 Jan 1944 - 5 Jan 1944)
   Preussen (4 Mar 1944 - 15 Mar 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

18 Aug 1942
A British B-24 Liberator (Sqdn 120/F) attacked U-653 near convoy SL 119 in the Atlantic west of Portugal. One man was lost when the boat dived. (although there was a report that the man was saved by a British destroyer.) The boat was seriously damaged and had to limp back to base, reaching Brest on 30 August. [Matrosengefreiter Willi Pröhl]

2 Aug 1943
The boat was attacked east of Trinidad by an American B-24 Liberator, but managed to repel the attack without being hit herself. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 367)

2 recorded attacks on this boat.