U-553
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 25 Sep 1939 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 21 Nov 1939 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 529) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 7 Nov 1940 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 23 Dec 1940 | Kptlt. Karl Thurmann (Knights Cross) | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 10 patrols |
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| Successes | 13 ships sunk for a total of 64,612 GRT 2 ships damaged for a total of 15,273 GRT | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Missing, presumed sunk, in the mid North Atlantic after going missing in January 1943. 47 dead (all hands lost). | |||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-553 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
West (13 Jun 1941 - 20 Jun 1941)
Grönland (10 Aug 1941 - 23 Aug 1941)
Kurfürst (23 Aug 1941 - 2 Sep 1941)
Seewolf (2 Sep 1941 - 13 Sep 1941)
Ziethen (6 Jan 1942 - 22 Jan 1942)
Westwall (2 Mar 1942 - 12 Mar 1942)
York (12 Mar 1942 - 26 Mar 1942)
Pirat (29 Jul 1942 - 3 Aug 1942)
Draufgänger (29 Nov 1942 - 11 Dec 1942)
Landsknecht (19 Jan 1943 - 20 Jan 1943)
Attacks on this boat
15 Oct 1941
While tracking convoy SC-48 the boat was located by the escort destroyer Columbia that attacked the boat, which in turn fired a torpedo on the destroyer without. Both U-boat and destroyer escaped unharmed. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 369)
1 recorded attack on this boat.
General notes on this boat
25 Apr 1941. On 25 April, 1941 U-553 was forced to return to base due to major engine trouble.
20 Jan 1943. The boat sent its last radio-message on 20 Jan, 1943 when it reported: "Sehrohr unklar" (Periscope not clear). She was never heard from again.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-553 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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Books dealing with this subject include:
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Related page: U-boats Missing in Action. |

