U-53 in Newport, Rhode Island 7 October 1916
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History | |
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German Empire | |
Name | U-53 |
Ordered | 23 August 1914 |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Yard number | 235 |
Laid down | 17 March 1915 |
Launched | 1 February 1916 |
Commissioned | 22 April 1916 |
Fate | 1 December 1918 - surrendered. Broken up at Swansea in 1919 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Type U 51 submarine |
Displacement |
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Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 7.82 m (25 ft 8 in) |
Draught | 3.64 m (11 ft 11 in) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 shafts |
Speed |
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Range |
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Test depth | 50 m (164 ft 1 in) |
Complement | 36 |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Commanders: |
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Operations: | 13 patrols |
Victories: |
SM U-53 was one of the six Type U 51 U-boats of the Imperial German Navy during the First World War.
U-53 was ordered from Germaniawerft, Kiel in 1914 and launched in 1916. She was commissioned under her first commander Hans Rose in 1916.
There was a great deal of anger amongst the Allied powers after the visit of U-53 to a US port and the subsequent sinking of Allied shipping. While all of the sinkings were done according to Prize court laws and nobody was killed during them, the attacks instilled fear in the British because of the reach of the German U-boats, and the US because these attacks occurred so close to its shores.
Britain was further outraged that most of the attacks occurred while the submarine was surrounded by US destroyers. After a soothing speech by Sir Edward Grey, these complaints were calmed when he pointed out that the US ships had no legal right to interfere with these attacks and had done all they could to rescue the sailors in the water.[8] German newspapers celebrated the trip as a great demonstration of the reach of the German Navy and Captain Rose was praised for his actions.
In the summer of 1917 German naval artist Claus Bergen accompanied U-53 on an Atlantic patrol, resulting in a series of well-known paintings.[9]
On 16 August 1917[10] torpedoed and sank the Donaldson liner Athenia[11][12] off Inishtrahull. Coincidentally, two decades later, in 1939, a new Athenia was sunk by the U-boat U-30 in the same area.[13]
Rose was relieved by Otto von Schrader in 1918. U-53 operated primarily within the English Channel after this, attacking Allied and neutral vessels. Von Schrader sank ten more ships of 1,782 tons with U-53 before the armistice on 11 November.[14]
U-53 was surrendered to the Allies at Harwich on 1 December 1918 in accordance with the requirements of the Armistice with Germany. She was sold by the British Admiralty to George Cohen on 3 March 1919 for £2,400 (excluding her engines), and was broken up at Swansea.[15]
Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[16] |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 July 1916 | Calypso | United Kingdom | 2,876 | Sunk |
8 October 1916 | Blommersdijk | Netherlands | 4,835 | Sunk |
8 October 1916 | Christian Knutsen | Norway | 4,224 | Sunk |
8 October 1916 | Stephano | United Kingdom | 3,449 | Sunk |
8 October 1916 | Strathdene | United Kingdom | 4,321 | Sunk |
8 October 1916 | West Point | United Kingdom | 3,847 | Sunk |
22 January 1917 | Anna | France | 154 | Sunk |
22 January 1917 | Zeta | Netherlands | 3,053 | Sunk |
28 January 1917 | Nueva Montana | Spain | 2,039 | Sunk |
29 January 1917 | Algorta | Spain | 2,117 | Sunk |
31 January 1917 | Hekla | Norway | 524 | Sunk |
2 February 1917 | Odin | Norway | 1,045 | Sunk |
3 February 1917 | Housatonic | United States | 3,143 | Sunk |
4 February 1917 | Aimee Maria | France | 327 | Sunk |
4 February 1917 | Bangpuhtis | Russia | 259 | Sunk |
5 February 1917 | Bråvalla | Sweden | 1,519 | Sunk |
9 February 1917 | Marian | Netherlands | 71 | Sunk |
2 March 1917 | Gazelle | United Kingdom | 119 | Sunk |
2 March 1917 | Utopia | United Kingdom | 184 | Sunk |
3 March 1917 | Theodoros Pangalos | Greece | 2,838 | Sunk |
5 March 1917 | Federico Confalonieri | Italy | 4,434 | Sunk |
9 March 1917 | Cavour | Italy | 1,929 | Sunk |
9 March 1917 | Lars Fostenes | Norway | 2,118 | Sunk |
10 March 1917 | St. Feodor | Russia | 126 | Damaged |
11 March 1917 | Folia | United Kingdom | 6,705 | Sunk |
11 March 1917 | Gracia | Spain | 3,129 | Sunk |
12 March 1917 | Hainaut | Belgium | 4,113 | Sunk |
14 March 1917 | Aquila | Norway | 1,092 | Sunk |
18 April 1917 | Scalpa | United Kingdom | 1,010 | Sunk |
18 April 1917 | Sculptor | United Kingdom | 3,846 | Sunk |
19 April 1917 | Tempus | United Kingdom | 2,981 | Sunk |
21 April 1917 | Pontiac | United Kingdom | 1,698 | Sunk |
22 April 1917 | Neepawah | Canada | 1,799 | Sunk |
23 April 1917 | Eptapyrgion | United Kingdom | 4,307 | Sunk |
24 April 1917 | Anglesea | United Kingdom | 4,534 | Sunk |
24 April 1917 | Ferndene | United Kingdom | 3,770 | Sunk |
25 April 1917 | Elisabeth | Denmark | 217 | Damaged |
25 April 1917 | Laura | United Kingdom | 335 | Sunk |
26 April 1917 | Hekla | Denmark | 169 | Sunk |
27 June 1917 | Ultonia | United Kingdom | 10,402 | Sunk |
8 July 1917 | Asheim | Norway | 2,147 | Sunk |
8 July 1917 | Atlantic | Denmark | 1,087 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Cedric | United Kingdom | 197 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Mabel | United Kingdom | 205 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Pacific | United Kingdom | 235 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Peridot | United Kingdom | 214 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Pretoria | United Kingdom | 283 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Romantic | United Kingdom | 197 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Sea King | United Kingdom | 185 | Sunk |
10 July 1917 | Stoic | United Kingdom | 200 | Sunk |
16 August 1917 | Athenia | United Kingdom | 8,668 | Sunk |
21 August 1917 | Devonian | United Kingdom | 10,435 | Sunk |
21 August 1917 | Roscommon | United Kingdom | 8,238 | Sunk |
22 August 1917 | Verdi | United Kingdom | 7,120 | Sunk |
23 August 1917 | Boniface | United Kingdom | 3,799 | Sunk |
26 August 1917 | Durango | United Kingdom | 3,008 | Sunk |
26 August 1917 | Kenmore | United Kingdom | 3,919 | Sunk |
10 October 1917 | Bostonian | United Kingdom | 5,736 | Sunk |
10 October 1917 | Gowrie | United Kingdom | 1,031 | Sunk |
11 October 1917 | Lewis Luckenbach | United States | 3,906 | Sunk |
15 October 1917 | San Nazario | United Kingdom | 10,064 | Damaged |
17 October 1917 | Manchuria | United Kingdom | 2,997 | Sunk |
17 October 1917 | Polvena | United Kingdom | 4,750 | Sunk |
19 October 1917 | Parkhaven | Netherlands | 2,635 | Sunk |
20 November 1917 | Megrez | Netherlands | 2,695 | Sunk |
20 November 1917 | Nederland | Netherlands | 1,832 | Sunk |
23 November 1917 | Westlands | United Kingdom | 3,112 | Sunk |
24 November 1917 | Dunrobin | United Kingdom | 3,617 | Sunk |
1 December 1917 | Helenus | United Kingdom | 7,555 | Damaged |
5 December 1917 | Earlswood | United Kingdom | 2,353 | Damaged |
6 December 1917 | USS Jacob Jones | United States Navy | 1,050 | Sunk |
9 December 1917 | Nyanza | United Kingdom | 6,695 | Damaged |
9 December 1917 | War Tune | United Kingdom | 2,045 | Sunk |
10 December 1917 | Øiekast | Norway | 605 | Sunk |
4 February 1918 | Treveal | United Kingdom | 4,160 | Sunk |
6 February 1918 | Holkar | United Kingdom | 61 | Sunk |
6 February 1918 | Marsouin | France | 55 | Sunk |
7 February 1918 | Beaumaris | United Kingdom | 2,372 | Sunk |
8 February 1918 | Basuta | United Kingdom | 2,876 | Sunk |
9 February 1918 | Lydie | United Kingdom | 2,559 | Sunk |
11 February 1918 | Merton Hall | United Kingdom | 4,327 | Sunk |
2 April 1918 | Meaford | United Kingdom | 1,889 | Sunk |
7 April 1918 | Cadillac | United Kingdom | 11,106 | Damaged |
7 April 1918 | Knight Templar | United Kingdom | 7,175 | Damaged |
7 April 1918 | Port Campbell | United Kingdom | 6,230 | Sunk |
20 June 1918 | Aisne | United Kingdom | 315 | Damaged |
27 June 1918 | Keelung | United Kingdom | 6,672 | Sunk |
28 June 1918 | Queen | United Kingdom | 4,956 | Sunk |
30 June 1918 | W.M.L. | United Kingdom | 145 | Sunk |
2 July 1918 | Erme | United Kingdom | 116 | Sunk |
6 July 1918 | Gullfaxi | Iceland | 46 | Sunk |
28 August 1918 | Pauline | Russia | 134 | Sunk |
1 September 1918 | Ami De Dieu | France | 45 | Sunk |
1 September 1918 | Etoile Polaire | France | 51 | Sunk |
2 September 1918 | Hirondelle | France | 38 | Sunk |
2 September 1918 | Nicolazic | France | 42 | Sunk |
4 September 1918 | War Firth | United Kingdom | 3,112 | Sunk |
5 September 1918 | Rio Mondego | Portugal | 733 | Damaged |