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</script> </div> <div align="center"> <h3><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a></h3><h1>U-853</h1> </div> <div align="center"> <table class="table_subtle width650"><tr> <td class="width100"><h3>Type</h3></td><td class="width95" align="center" class="seperator"><h3><a href="/types/ixc40.htm" class="header">IXC/40</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">5 Jun 1941</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">21 Aug 1942</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/ag-weser.htm">AG Weser, Bremen</a> (werk 1059)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">11 Mar 1943</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">25 Jun 1943</td><td class="seperator">Kptlt. Helmut Sommer</td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">25 Jun 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">9 Jul 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1203.html"> Helmut Sommer</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">18 Jun 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">9 Jul 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/332.html"> Helmut Fr枚msdorf</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">10 Jul 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">31 Aug 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1337.html"> Otto Wermuth</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">24 Aug 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">15 Oct 1944</td><td>  </td><td>KrvKpt. <a href="/men/kuhnke.htm"> G眉nter Kuhnke</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Sep 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">6 May 1945</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/332.html"> Helmut Fr枚msdorf</a></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u853.html">3 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">25 Jun 1943</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Mar 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/4flo.htm">4. Flottille</a> (training)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Apr 1944</td><td>-</td><td class="right">1 Oct 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/10flo.htm">10. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Oct 1944</td><td>-</td><td class="right">6 May 1945</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/33flo.htm">33. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">1 ship sunk, total tonnage 5,353 GRT<br/>1 warship sunk, total tonnage 430 tons</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p>Sunk on 6 May 1945 in the North Atlantic <a href="/maps/us_east_coast.htm">south-east of New London</a>, in position 41.13N, 71.27W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escort <a href="/allies/warships/ship/1451.html">USS Atherton</a> and the US patrol frigate <a href="/allies/warships/ship/2336.html">USS Moberly</a>. 55 dead (all hands lost).</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>Loss position</td> <td colspan="3"> <style media="screen" type="text/css"> #mapFate {width:510px; height: 270px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;} </style> <div id="mapFate" align="center"></div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> var mymap = L.map('mapFate').setView([42.13, -71.27], 4) L.tileLayer('/map-tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', { attribution: 'map 漏 OpenStreetMap contributors | ship info by uboat.net', maxZoom: 10, }).addTo(mymap); var iconFate = L.icon({ iconUrl: '/media/maps/googlemarkers/orange_Marker.png', iconSize: [20, 34], iconAnchor: [10, 34], }); var marker = L.marker([41.22, -71.45], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-853</strong>. Sunk on 6 May 1945 in the North Atlantic <a href=\"/maps/us_east_coast.htm\">south-east of New London</a>, in position 41.13N, 71.27W, by depth charges from the US destroyer escort <a href=\"/allies/warships/ship/1451.html\">USS Atherton</a> and the US patrol frigate <a href=\"/allies/warships/ship/2336.html\">USS Moberly</a>.'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/successes/u853.html">See the 2 ships hit by U-853</a> - <a href="/boats/patrols/u853.html">View the 3 war patrols</a><br></p> </div> <p>Some sources state that the destroyer <a href="/allies/warships/ship/1812.html">USS Ericsson (DD 440)</a> also credited with the sinking of the U-boat. She was certainly in the area, but it is unclear which role the destroyer played in the hunt for <a href="/boats/u853.htm">U-853</a>. <p><strong>Location of the wreck</strong><br/> She is reported to be lying at 41 12 40N 71 25 20W, in 125/130 feet of water (this is about 4 miles west of the official sinking location).</p> </p><h3>This boat is a dive site</h3><p>This boat lies in 130 feet (42m) deep waters roughly 6 miles north east of Block Island and south of Newport, USA. The boat still contains remains of most of the 55 men who perished when she was sunk on May 6, 1945, in the last U-boat action as such in WWII.</p> <p>This wreck is a German war grave and should be respected as such</p> </p>Depth: 130 feet (40 meters)<br>Position (lat, long): 41.13, -71.27</p><p>See more <a href="/fates/dive/"> U-boat dive sites</a>.</p> </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>25 May 1944</strong><br/>Rockets were fired by two <a href="/allies/aircraft/swordfish.htm">Swordfish</a> torpedo bombers from the British MAC ships <strong>HMS Ancylus</strong> and <strong>HMS Empire MacKendrick</strong> escorting convoy <a href="/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=ON-237">ON 237</a>. The boat fought off the attack with AA fire and escaped undamaged. All three aircraft were hit by flak, <strong>M3</strong> from <strong>HMS Empire MacKendrick</strong> so badly that it was jettisoned on its return.</p> <p><strong>17 Jun 1944</strong><br/>Two <a href="/allies/aircraft/wildcat.htm">F-4F Wildcat</a> fighters from the US escort carrier <a href=/allies/warships/ship/2497.html><a href=/allies/warships/ship/2497.html><strong>USS Croatan</strong></a> made repeated strafing attacks on U-853 about 30 miles (48km) south of the carrier. The boat dived and escaped before the carrier's <a href="/allies/aircraft/avenger.htm">Avenger</a> bombers arrived, but had to return to base due to the many casualties: two dead and twelve wounded [Bootsmann Kurt Schweichler, Maschinengefreiter Karl-Heinz L枚ffler].</p> <p><strong>23 Apr 1945</strong><br/>After sinking <a href="/allies/merchants/3500.html"><strong>USS PE-56</strong></a> off Cape Elizabeth, Maine, U-853 was located on sonar by the American destroyer <a href="/allies/warships/ship/5150.html"><strong>USS Selfridge</strong></a>, which launched nine depth charges after rescuing survivors. It is not known if the attack damaged <a href="/boats/u853.htm">U-853</a>, as she was lost a few days later without reporting the incident.</p> <p>3 recorded attacks on this boat.</p> </div> <h3>General notes on this boat</h3><p> In August 1944 Korvkpt. Kuhnke was Commander of the <a href="/flotillas/10flo.htm">10th Flotilla</a>. He went back to Germany with <a href="/boats/u853.htm">U-853</a> (left <a href="/flotillas/bases/lorient.htm">Lorient</a>, France on 27 August, 1944 and reached Flensburg on 14 October 1944). Then he took over command of the <a href="/flotillas/33flo.htm">33rd Flotilla</a>. </p> <h3>Schnorchel-fitted U-boat</h3><p>This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus in July 1944. </p><p>Read more about the <a href="/technical/schnorchel.htm">Schnorchel</a> and see list of <a href="/technical/schnorchel_fitted.htm">fitted boats</a>.</p> <div align="center"> <h3>Men lost from the boat</h3></div> <p><strong>17 Jun 1944</strong><br>Two <a href="/allies/aircraft/wildcat.htm">F-4F Wildcat</a> fighters from the US escort carrier <a href=/allies/warships/ship/2497.html><a href=/allies/warships/ship/2497.html><strong>USS Croatan</strong></a> made repeated strafing attacks on U-853 about 30 miles (48km) south of the carrier. The boat dived and escaped before the carrier's <a href="/allies/aircraft/avenger.htm">Avenger</a> bombers arrived, but had to return to base due to the many casualties: two dead and twelve wounded [Bootsmann Kurt Schweichler, Maschinengefreiter Karl-Heinz L枚ffler].</p> <p>  <strong>Related:</strong> For more info on such losses see - <a href="/men/men_lost.htm">Men lost from U-boats</a> -</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 1 <strong>emblem</strong> entry for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u853.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem828.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Horse</a></td> </tr></table><br> <div align="center"> <h3>Media links</h3> <table> <tr> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/2388"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/184832118X.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Attack Logs</a><br>Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor</p><div class="left"><br> <img src="/media/images/flags/small/flag-uk_s.gif" alt="" /> <a href="/about/scripts/amazon_co_uk.php?book=184832118X&path=/boats/u853.htm">amazon.co.uk</a> <br>(拢 38.25)</div></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/525"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/german_u-boat_losses.jpg" alt="" /> <br>German U-Boat Losses During World War II</a><br>Niestle, Axel</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/270"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boat_operations2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2</a><br>Wynn, Kenneth</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/538"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/486"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/dive_into_history_3.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Dive into History</a><br>Keatts, Henry C. and Farr, George C.</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <br><br>  <p class='center'><br/>As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.</p> <div class="adSeperator"></div> <div id="ga_contentFooter728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="7580936821"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div><br> </div>  <div id="footer"> <div id="footer_navcontainer"> <ul id="footer_navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Front page</a></li> <li><a href="/about/" title="About uboat.net">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about/contact.htm" title="Contact us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/special/faq.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.htm" title="Glossary pages">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/new.htm" title="What's new at uboat.net">What's new</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer_copyright">  © 1995 - 2025 Guðmundur Helgason </div> </div>  </div>  </body></html>