Type | VIIB | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ordered | 15 May 1937 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Laid down | 13 Mar 1937 | F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 588) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | 6 May 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 24 Jun 1939 | Oblt. Dietrich Knorr | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 3 patrols |
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| Successes | 7 ships sunk, total tonnage 27,316 GRT 1 ship damaged, total tonnage 8,022 GRT | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Fate | Sunk 23 Feb, 1940 in the North Sea in the mid Orkneys, in position 60.32N, 06.14W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Gurkha. 42 dead (all hands lost). | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Attacks on this boat
17 Sep 1939
Several Swordfish aircraft from the British fleet carrier HMS Courageous attacked the boat with gunfire forcing the boat to crash dive. Some gunners had to be left topside when the boat dived, they perished. HMS Courageous was sunk later the same day by U-29. (Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 90)
1 recorded attack on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-53 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
U-boat Emblems
We have 2 emblem entry for this boat! See the emblem page for this boat or view each one below.
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Media links
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There was another U-53 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 1 Feb 1916 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 22 Apr 1916. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 53 during WWI.