SM U-53

Unterseeboot "53", or "U 53" was a German Type Mittel U U-boat of the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War, one of the six forming the sub type 51.

Construction and commissioning

"U 53" was ordered from Germaniawerft, Kiel in 1914 and launched in 1916. She was commissioned under her first commander Hans Rose in 1916.

ervice with the Kaiserliche Marine

Rose became the 5th ranked German submarine ace of World War I sinking USS Jacob Jones (DD-61) and 79 merchant ships for a total of 213,987 tons. [Tarrant 1989 p.146] Rose's first patrol with "U-53" was to Newport, Rhode Island. His mission had been to sink any British warships in position to ambush the merchant submarine "Bremen"; but he heard a radio broadcast on 28 September 1916 indicating "Bremen" had been sunk. "U-53" entered Newport harbor on the morning of 7 October 1916. Rose paid courtesy visits to Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, Commandant of the United States Second Naval District, and Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves aboard the cruiser USS Birmingham (CL-2); and then received courtesy visits from both admirals aboard "U-53". Admiral Gleaves brought his wife and daughter to visit "U-53". It took the neutral American government about two hours to decide how to handle this surprise visit. When the harbor master started talking about quarantine regulations, Rose returned to sea to avoid being interned. [Long, October 1966, pp.89-92]

"U-53" commenced military operations the next morning two miles off the Lightship Nantucket. The American steamer "Kansas" was stopped by a shot across the bow at 0535, and then released when examination of her papers revealed no contraband cargo. A large passenger liner was allowed to pass at 0600 because Rose felt unable to provide for the safety of a large number of passengers. The 4321-ton British steamer "Strathdene" was stopped at 0653 and torpedoed at 0743 after the crew had abandoned ship. The 3878-ton Norwegian steamer "CHR. Knudsen" with a cargo of diesel oil for London was stopped at 0803 and torpedoed at 0953 after the crew had abandoned ship. The 3847-ton steamer "West Point" was stopped at 1130 and sunk by explosive charges after the crew had abandoned ship. [Long, October 1966, p.93]

Seventeen American destroyers were dispatched from Newport to search for survivors in response to the Nantucket lightship's reports of sinkings. The destroyers arrived about 1700 as "U-53" stopped the Dutch steamer "Blommersdyk" bound for England with contraband cargo. The 3449-ton British passenger liner "Stephano" was stopped and the gathering American destroyers took off its crew and passengers. Rose used his last torpedoes to sink "Blommersdyk" at 1950 and "Stephano" at 2230. Rose set a homeward course via the Gulf Stream and evaded three British destroyers sent from Canada to intercept him. [Long, October 1966, pp.93-94]

Rose was relieved by von Schrader in 1918. Von Schrader sank ten more ships of 1782 tons with "U-53" before the armistice on 11 November. [Tarrant 1989 p.153]

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