Så sent som i 1945 begynte Kriegsmarine å innse at krigen snart var tapt. Etter at Frankrike var gjenerobret av de allierte etter landgangen i Normandie, sendte tyskerne ubåtene fra Frankrike til Norge. Dette ga kanskje tyskerne en bedre mulighet til å kunne angripe de nordgående konvoiene, men muligheten kom dessverre for sent i krigen til å gi noen positive resultater. U 1053 tilhørte 5 flotille og forsvant under et treningsoppdrag med dypdykking nær Bergen den 15 februar 1945. Ombord på ubåten var kommandant Oberleutnant zur see Helmut Lange og en besetning på førtifem mann. Alle omkom i denne ulykken. Posisjonen er oppgitt til N 60 22 E 05 10, og vraket ble funnet på midten av 90- tallet...


In late 1945 the Kriegsmarine realized that the war was soon lost. After France had been recaptured by the Allies after the invasion in Normandie, the Germans sent their submarines from France to Norway. This gave the possibly that the Germans had a better possibility to attack the northbound convoys, but it was to late in the war to give any positive results. U 1053 belonged to 5 flotille and disappeared under an exercise with deep diving near Bergen on February 15th 1945. On board the submarine was commandant Oberleutnant zur see Helmut Lange and a crew of forty five men. All perished in this accident. The position is given to to N 60 22 E 05 10, and the wreck was located in the mid 90`s...

Name:
Former names:
Material:
Dimensions:
U 1053
 
Steel
67,1x 6,2x 4,74 m.
       
Tons: Built: Homeport: Cargo:
769 depl ( surfaced ) Kiel ( D ) 1943 Bergen ( N )  


Helmut Lange
Born 31 aug 1916, Tilsit.
Crew 1937. Oberlutnant zur See 1 sep. 1941
Died 15 feb. 1945 in the Norwegian sea.
Commands: U 72, 20 nov. 1942 - 14 dec. 1943
No war patrols.
U 1053, 12 feb. 1944 - 15 feb. 1945 No war patrols.

With over 650 boats build, the Type VII was the most important submarine in the German Kriegsmarine. Built
between 1936 and 1944 those boats mainly operated in the North Atlantic, and were known for the so called
"Rudeltaktik" - a simultaneous night attack of several surfaces U-Boats on allied convoys. Besides torpedo attacks they could also be used for mine laying and were well known for their maneuverability and fast diving speed. Shortly after the introduction of the first model a improved version with a better maneuverability ( Type VIIB ) was built. The most built variant was the Type VIIC whose variant Type VIIC/41 was made of thicker steel to increase the diving depth. Other variants include the mine laying Type VIID and the torpedo supply variant Type VIIF. Today, one of those boats, U995, is on display in Laboe, Germany.

Interested in uboats and their commanders? Visit this great site...
U-boat Net


5 flotille
 05.42 - 05.45

Bergen (Norway)
Fregkpt.
Hans Cohausz
Fregkpt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock.




Edited 29.06.2007