# German submarine U-453

German submarine U-453 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 4 July 1940 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel as yard number 284, launched on 30 April 1941 and commissioned on 26 June 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Egon-Reiner von Schlippenbach (Knight's Cross).
The boat's service began on 26 June 1941 with training as part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla, followed by active service until being transferred to the 29th flotilla on 1 January 1942, based in La Spezia in Italy.

## Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-453 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-453 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

## Service history

In 17 patrols she sank nine merchant ships for a total of 23,289 gross register tons (GRT), plus one warship , damaged one merchant ship , one auxiliary warship and cause one warship total loss.

### Fate

She was depth charged and sunk by on 21 May 1944 off the south coast of Italy at position 38°13′N 16°30′E﻿ / ﻿38.217°N 16.500°E﻿ / 38.217; 16.500 by Royal Navy destroyers HMS Termagant, HMS Tenacious and the escort destroyer HMS Liddesdale.

## Summary of raiding history

| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
| 13 December 1941 | Badalona | Spain | 4,202 | Sunk |
| 7 April 1942 | HMHS Somersetshire | Royal Navy | 9,716 | Damaged |
| 20 January 1943 | Jean Jadot | Belgium | 5,859 | Sunk |
| 30 June 1943 | Oligarch | United Kingdom | 6,894 | Damaged |
| 6 July 1943 | Shahjehan | United Kingdom | 5,454 | Sunk |
| 15 November 1943 | HMS Quail | Royal Navy | 1,705 | Total loss (mine) |
| 20 November 1943 | Jela | Yugoslavia | 335 | Sunk (mine) |
| 22 November 1943 | HMS Hebe | Royal Navy | 835 | Sunk (mine) |
| 1 February 1944 | Agia Paraskevi | Greece | 80 | Sunk |
| 1 February 1944 | Salem | Lebanon | 81 | Sunk |
| 1 February 1944 | Himli | Lebanon | 67 | Sunk |
| 1 February 1944 | Yahiya | Syria | 64 | Sunk |
| 19 May 1944 | Fort Missanabie | United Kingdom | 7,147 | Sunk |