German submarine U-53 (1939)

U-52, a typical Type VIIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-53
Ordered	15 May 1937
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Cost	4,439,000 Reichsmark
Yard number	588
Laid down	13 March 1937
Launched	6 May 1939
Commissioned	24 June 1939
Fate	Sunk by HMS Gurkha 23 / 24 February 1940 near the Orkney Islands
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIB U-boat
Displacement	753 t (741 long tons) surfaced 857 t (843 long tons) submerged
Length	66.50 m (218 ft 2 in) o/a 48.80 m (160 ft 1 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Installed power	2,800–3,200 PS (2,100–2,400 kW; 2,800–3,200 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	8,700 nmi (16,112 km; 10,012 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)surfaced 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph)
Test depth	230 m (750 ft) Calculated crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	7th U-boat Flotilla 24 June 1939 – 23 / 24 February 1940
Identification codes:	M 10 424
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. Dietrich Knorr 24 June – August 1939 Kptlt. Ernst-Günter Heinicke August 1939 – 14 January 1940 Oblt.z.S. Heinrich Schonder December 1939 – January 1940 K.Kapt. Harald Grosse 15 January – 23 / 24 February 1940
Operations:	3 patrols: 1st patrol: 29 August – 30 September 1939 2nd patrol: 21 October – 30 November 1939 3rd patrol: 2 – 23 / 24 February 1940
Victories:	7 merchant ships sunk (27,316 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (8,022 GRT)

German submarine U-53 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 13 March 1937 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel and went into service on 24 June 1939 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See (Oblt.z.S.) Dietrich Knorr.