U-Boat Operations

Operations information for U-553
13.04.1941 - 17.04.1941 First Sailing U-553 left Kiel under the command of Karl Thurmann on 13th Apr 1941 and arrived at return on 17th Apr 1941 after four days.
19.04.1941 - 02.05.1941 Second Sailing - active patrol On the 19th Apr 1941, U-553 left Bergen under the command of Karl Thurmann and after nearly two weeks arrived at return on 2nd May 1941.
07.06.1941 - 19.07.1941 Third Sailing - active patrol U-553 departed under Karl Thurmann from St. Nazaire on 7th Jun 1941 and arrived at return on 19th Jul 1941 after six weeks. Karl Thurmann hit two ships on this patrol. On 12th Jun 1941 he sank the British 2,355 ton Susan Maersk. On 12th Jun 1941 he sank the Norwegian 5,590 ton Ranella. Ranella had been sailing with convoy OG-64 until 2 days before the attack which sank her.You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Ranella.
07.08.1941 - 16.09.1941 Fourth Sailing - active patrol U-553 left St. Nazaire under the command of Karl Thurmann on 7th Aug 1941 and after more than five weeks arrived at return on 16th Sep 1941.
07.10.1941 - 22.10.1941 Fifth Sailing - active patrol On the 7th Oct 1941, U-553 left St. Nazaire under the command of Karl Thurmann and arrived at return on 22nd Oct 1941 after just over two weeks. Karl Thurmann hit three ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy, all of them from convoy SC-48. On 15th Oct 1941 he sank the Norwegian 1,583 ton Ila, sailing with convoy SC-48. On 15th Oct 1941 he sank the British 4,354 ton Silvercedar, a member of convoy SC-48. On 17th Oct 1941 he sank the Panamanian 3,222 ton Bold Venture, part of convoy SC-48. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Ila.
01.01.1942 - 03.02.1942 Sixth Sailing - active patrol U-553 departed under Karl Thurmann from St. Nazaire on 1st Jan 1942 and after more than four weeks arrived at return on 3rd Feb 1942. Karl Thurmann hit two ships on this patrol, one was from convoy ON-52. On 15th Jan 1942 he damaged the British 8,106 ton Diala, from convoy ON-52. On 22nd Jan 1942 he sank the Norwegian 8,260 ton Innerøy. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Innerøy.
24.02.1942 - 01.04.1942 Seventh Sailing - active patrol U-553 left St. Nazaire under the command of Karl Thurmann on 24th Feb 1942 and arrived at return on 1st Apr 1942 after just over five weeks.
19.04.1942 - 24.06.1942 Eighth Sailing - active patrol On the 19th Apr 1942, U-553 left St. Nazaire under the command of Karl Thurmann and after nine and a half weeks arrived at return on 24th Jun 1942. Karl Thurmann hit three ships on this patrol. On 12th May 1942 he sank the Dutch 4,712 ton Leto. On 12th May 1942 he sank the British 5,364 ton Nicoya. On 2nd Jun 1942 he sank the British 6,919 ton Mattawin.
19.07.1942 - 17.09.1942 Ninth Sailing - active patrol U-553 departed under Karl Thurmann from St. Nazaire on 19th Jul 1942 and arrived at return on 17th Sep 1942 after eight and a half weeks. Karl Thurmann hit four ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy: One was from convoy ON-115 and three were from convoy TAW-13. On 3rd Aug 1942 he damaged the Belgian 7,167 ton Belgian Soldier, sailing with convoy ON-115. On 18th Aug 1942 he sank the Swedish 2,845 ton Blankaholm, a member of convoy TAW-13. On 18th Aug 1942 he sank the British 6,959 ton Empire Bede, part of convoy TAW-13. On 18th Aug 1942 he sank the American 7,176 ton John Hancock, from convoy TAW-13.
23.11.1942 - 18.12.1942 Tenth Sailing - active patrol U-553 left St. Nazaire under the command of Karl Thurmann on 23rd Nov 1942 and after three and a half weeks arrived at return on 18th Dec 1942. Karl Thurmann hit one ship on this patrol from convoy HX-217. On 9th Dec 1942 he sank the British 5,273 ton Charles LD, sailing with convoy HX-217.
16.01.1943 - 22.01.1943 Eleventh Sailing On the 16th Jan 1943, U-553 left La Pallice under the command of Karl Thurmann and arrived at return on 22nd Jan 1943 after six days.

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