The mascot of U 953

[Orret]

Hi to all


Peter the cat mascot of the U 953 in the Pallice in the end of one patrols

From Here
http://www.thelongestpatrol.com/u-953.html

[bad karma]

Hi Orret,

I didn`t know this link,thaaaaaaaaanks for shearing it.

my best regards,
Ron.

[Greg Owen]

I am the author of The Longest Patrol; A U-Boat Gunner's War. Thanks for visiting my website.

Peter the Tomcat shared U 953 and her crew with a dog mascot named Rin-Tin-Tina. Both mascots accompanied U 953's crew on combat patrols. While all officers and crew liked the dog, some U-953 officers disliked Peter. Sometime before the seige of Brest, France, during which time U 953 was one of the last U-boats to depart the U-bunker, Peter accompanied a U 953 crewman to Paris, and was given to the owner of a hotel there. So ended Peter's career as an Ubootfahrer!

Greg Owen

[The Duck]

Hello Greg. Just been reading your post. My uncle was a crew member on U 953, Hans Harder.
I would be very interested in any information you may have about Hans.
Look forward to hearing from you and thanks in advance.
The Duck

[oldhoweboy]

Yes Hans Harder is listed as crew member but no rank or job description!
Regards
OHB

[The Duck]

OHB.
Thank you for your reply.
I found Hans' name on the crew list on the site below:
ubootwaffe.net
Kriegsmarine and U-Boat history.
I have another post on this subject on this site titled U 953.
I am getting some useful information but would be grateful for anything relating to Hans Harder personally and any pictures of Hans or the boat. After my own father died Hans became a second father to me and my brothers, sadly Hans died some years ago. Any information even copies of what I have will be appreciated.
Best wishes.
The Duck.

[The Duck]

can anyone identify the men in the picture?
The Duck

iu22-398x271.png

[Greg Owen]

Dear Duck,

Unfortunately, not at this time. My friend Karl Baumann, U 953 gunner, died November 30, 2009. Only one crew member--Herbert Raschewski, whose residence has been in Germany--may remain alive as of this date.

Best regards,

Greg

[The Duck]

Greg. thank you for your reply.
I apologise for the delay in replying to you, I have only just noticed your post.
As previously mentioned my uncle, Hans Harder died some years ago.
After the war ended Hans decided to stay in England.
He was originally in a pow camp in Huyton Near Liverpool.
He met my mothers sister and they married. He had four daughters, 2 in Canada, 1 in Honk Kong and 1 still in the UK.
His wife, my aunty is still living just outside the Liverpool area.
If you have any contact with Herr Raschewski, perhaps you could pass this information to him and if he is still alive perhaps he may wish to make contact.
Once again if you come across any information regarding Hans or the U 953, I would be most grateful to receive it.
My best wishes and thanks.
Bobo.

[Bob Lyons]

Some info about U 953:-

Type VIIC and built by Blohn & Voss, Hamburg.

Keel laid: 10.2.42 Launched 28.10.42
Commissioned: 17.12.42 Feldpost Nr. M 49 558

Surrendered 9.5.45 at Trondheim.

Served with:
5 U-Flotille, Kiel December 1942 - May 1943
3 U-Flotille, La Pallice June 1943 - October 1944
33 U-Flotille, Flensburg October 1944 - 9. 5. 1945.

Commanded by:
OL Karl-Heinz Marbach December 1942 - July 1944
OL Herbert Werner August 1944 - March 1945
OL Erich Steinbrink March 1945 - 9.5.45

Patrols: 9. Ships sunk: 1. (1927 grt).

24.6.44 Left for the English Channel
In the morning of 5.7.44 U 953 attacked a convoy South of Worthing, sinking the SS Glendinning (br 1927t) and claiming a hit on a second ship. On the 11th U 953 attacked a convoy near the Isle of Wight, claiming one ship sunk and a destroyer hit. None of these claims is confirmed.

After returning from this patrol U 953's commander OL Marbach went to Berlin to receive his Knight's Cross.

U 953 was surrendered at Trondheim on 9.5.45. She left there on the 29th for Scapa Flow. After experimental use as an N series submarine by the Royal Navy, the boat was scrapped in June 1949.


Bob

[Bob Lyons]

The maker should read "Blohm & Voss"

Finger fault local !

Bob

[Derek Waller]

Dear Bob,

Further to your post on 12 July re U-953, I can offer you some further information about the history of U-953 after it surrendered in Trondheim on 9 May 1945.

It left Trondheim on 29 May and arrived in Scapa Flow on 31 May 1945.

It left Scapa Flow on 2 June and arrived in Loch Ryan on 3 June 1945.

It was allocated to the UK by the Tripartite Naval Commission on 10 October 1945.

It was transferred to Lisahally from Loch Ryan on 30 December 1945

It was never used for any experimental purposes by the Royal Navy, nor was it allocated an RN Pennant Number in the “N” or any other series.

In September 1946 it was one of 6 U-Boats (from the UK’s TNC allocation) earmarked by the Admiralty for use as target ships, though they were never used for this purpose.

It remained tied-up to the jetty at Lisahally until mid-1947, when it was moved further up Lough Foyle for berthing at Londonderry.

In July 1948 the Admiralty decided it no longer had a requirement for the 6 U-Boats as target ships.

In early 1949 it was authorised to be sold for scrap.

It remained at Londonderry until June 1949 when it was towed away to the shipbreakers, at which stage the story becomes very ‘interesting’.

U-953 was supposed to be moved to Dunston-on-Tyne, Newcastle on 30 May 1949, but it seems most likely that the U-Boat that arrived under tow at Dunston on 4 June 1947 was actually U-712.

Thus it is most likely that U-953 (rather than U-712) was the U-Boat towed to the ship-breakers at Hayle in Cornwall in June 1949, arriving there on 29 June 1949.

Finally, if you want to read more about what happened to U-953 (especially the events of June 1949) and the other U-Boats allocated to the Royal Navy by the TNC after the war, might I suggest that you look at the “uboat.net” website under the “Articles” heading, where you will find a copy (dated 9 October 2011) of my paper “U-Boats in the Royal Navy post-May 1945”.

I hope this helps.

Yours aye

Derek

[Bob Lyons]

Thanks Derek, very interesting reading.


Best wishes

Bob