SM UB-53
 UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-53. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire
| |
| Name: | UB-53 |
| Ordered: | 20 May 1916[1] |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Cost: | 3,276,000 German Papiermark< |
| Yard number: | 298 |
| Launched: | 9 March 1917[2] |
| Commissioned: | 21 August 1917[2] |
| Fate: | sunk 3 August 1918 at 39°40′N 18°40′E / 39.667°N 18.667°ECoordinates: 39°40′N 18°40′E / 39.667°N 18.667°E by mines, 10 dead[2] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type: | German Type UB III submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 55.30 m (181 ft 5 in) (o/a) |
| Beam: | 5.80 m (19.0 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement: | 3 officers, 31 men[2] |
| Armament: |
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| Service record | |
| Part of: |
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| Commanders: |
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| Operations: | 5 patrols |
| Victories: | 14 merchant ships sunk (16,586 GRT) |
SM UB-53 was a German Type UB III submarine or U-boat in the Imperial German Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She was commissioned into the Pola Flotilla of the German Imperial Navy on 21 August 1917 as SM UB-53.[nb 1]
She operated as part of the Pola Flotilla based in Cattaro. UB-53 was sunk by mines of the Otranto Barrage on 3 August 1918 at 39°40′N 18°40′E / 39.667°N 18.667°E in the Otranto Strait, 10 crew members died.[2]
Construction
UB-53 was ordered by the GIN on 20 May 1916. She was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg and following just under a year of construction, launched at Hamburg on 9 March 1917. UB-53 was commissioned later that same year under the command of Kptlt. Robert Sprenger. Like all Type UB III submarines, UB-53 carried 10 torpedoes and was armed with a 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun. UB-53 would carry a crew of up to 3 officer and 31 men and had a cruising range of 9,040 nautical miles (16,740 km; 10,400 mi). UB-53 had a displacement of 516 t (508 long tons) while surfaced and 651 t (641 long tons) when submerged. Her engines enabled her to travel at 13.6 knots (25.2 km/h; 15.7 mph) when surfaced and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 December 1917 | Nina | .svg.png){kind=small} Greece |
126 | Sunk |
| 31 December 1917 | Lily | Greece |
2,993 | Sunk |
| 20 February 1918 | Taxiarchis | Greece |
292 | Sunk |
| 26 February 1918 | Saida |  France |
82 | Sunk |
| 2 March 1918 | Euxeinos | Greece |
2,891 | Sunk |
| 6 March 1918 | Kalgan |  United Kingdom |
1,862 | Sunk |
| 9 April 1918 | Aveiro |  Portugal |
2,209 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Kheda Moulekar | France |
40 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Marshalla | United Kingdom |
77 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Sadika | France |
45 | Sunk |
| 22 April 1918 | Welbeck Hall | United Kingdom |
5,643 | Sunk |
| 24 April 1918 | Mabrouska | France |
256 | Sunk |
| 27 April 1918 | Azizeh | France |
30 | Sunk |
| 27 April 1918 | Nemaat Kheda | France |
40 | Sunk |
Notes
- ↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
References
- ↑ Rössler, p.65
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gröner 1991, pp. 25-30.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UB-53". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
Bibliography
- Bendert, Harald (2000). Die UB-Boote der Kaiserlichen Marine, 1914-1918. Einsätze, Erfolge, Schicksal (in German). Hamburg: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH. ISBN 3-8132-0713-7.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Rössler, Eberhard (1979). U-Bootbau bis Ende des 1. Weltkrieges, Konstruktionen für das Ausland und die Jahre 1935 – 1945. Die deutschen U-Boote und ihre Werften (in German) I (Munich: Bernard & Graefe). ISBN 3-7637-5213-7.