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.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-453 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert GU 343/38–8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-453 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
In 17 patrols she sank nine merchant ships for a total of, plus one warship, damaged one merchant ship, one auxiliary warship and cause one warship total loss.
She was depth charged and sunk by on 21 May 1944 off the south coast of Italy at position 38.2167°N 46°W by Royal Navy destroyers, and the escort destroyer .
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[1] | Fate[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 December 1941 | Badalona |  Spain | 4,202 | Sunk | |
| 7 April 1942 | HMHS Somersetshire | 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 | 1,705 | Total loss (mine) | |||
| 20 November 1943 | Jela | 335 | Sunk (mine) | ||
| 22 November 1943 | 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 | 64 | Sunk | ||
| 19 May 1944 | Fort Missanabie | United Kingdom | 7,147 | Sunk |