U-453

Type

VIIC

Ordered

30 Oct, 1939

Laid down

4 Jul, 1940

Deutsche Werke, Kiel (werk 284)

Launched

30 Apr, 1941

Commissioned

26 Jun, 1941

Kptlt. Gert Hetschko

Commanders

26 Jun, 1941 - 8 Jul, 1941	Kptlt. Gert Hetschko
9 Jul, 1941 - 6 Dec, 1943	Kptlt. Freiherr Egon Reiner von Schlippenbach (Knights Cross)
7 Dec, 1943 - 21 May, 1944	Oblt. Dierk Lührs

Career

17 patrols

26 Jun, 1941 - 1 Nov, 1941  7. Flottille (training)
1 Nov, 1941 - 31 Dec, 1941  7. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan, 1942 - 21 May, 1944  29. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

9 ships sunk for a total of 23.289 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 835 tons
2 ships damaged for a total of 16.610 GRT
1 warship a total loss for a total of 1.705 tons

Fate

Sunk 21 May, 1944 in the Ionian Sea north-east of Cape Spartivento, in position 38.13N, 16.30E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Termagent and HMS Tenacious and the escort destroyer HMS Liddesdale. 1 dead and 51 survivors.

See the 13 ships hit by U-453 - View the 17 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

12 Dec, 1942
The U-453 sustained so much damage during a depth charge attack that she was forced to return to base in the Mediterranean.

24 Apr, 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British Hudson (500 Sqdn RAF/N, pilot W/O R. Obee)

At 00.12 hours, the boat was illuminated by the Hudson with flares after obtaining a radar contact off Oran and subsequently attacked. AA fire hit the aircraft (misidentified as Hampden) during its inital strafing run and killed the pilot. No depth charges were dropped as the front gunner struggled to save the Hudson from crashing. The navigator then flew the aircraft to their base at Tafaraoui, but the four remaining crewmen bailed out and let it crash because they could not land the Hudson safely.This aircraft was formerly credited with sinking U-602, but was in fact against U-453 inflicting no damage.

(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

4 Feb, 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:South African Ventura (Sqdn 17/E)

3 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

13 Oct, 1942
1 man was killed and 3 wounded on U-453 in an accident during handling the machine gun. [Matrosengefreiter Horst Saupe + on 13th Oct., Steuermannsgefreiter Helmut Lorenz died 2 months later]

24 Feb, 1944
During test firing with the machine gun at the base in Salamis, Greece were two men killed (not crew members).

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -