WWI U-boats

U 53

 

Type

U 51

Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel  (Werk 235)
Ordered 23 Aug 1914 Laid down 17 Mar 1915 
Launched 1 Feb 1916 Commissioned 22 Apr 1916 
Commanders
22 Apr 1916 - 17 Aug 1918   Hans Rose
18 Aug 1918 - 29 Nov 1918   Otto von Schrader
Career 13 patrols
31 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918 II Flotilla
Successes87 ships sunk for a total of 223,478 tons.
10 ships damaged for a total of 46,339 tons.
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,050 tons. 
Fate 1 Dec 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Swansea in 1922.  

See the 98 ships hit by U 53


There was another U 53 in World War Two
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 6 May 1939 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 24 Jun 1939. Take a look at the U 53 from WWII.

Back to the U-boat index