German submarine U-53 (1939)

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.

Design
German Type VIIB submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIA submarines. U-53 had a displacement of 753 t when at the surface and 857 t while submerged. She had a total length of 66.50 m, a pressure hull length of 48.80 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.50 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two MAN M 6 V 40/46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.9 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 8 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 90 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8700 nmi at 10 kn. U-53 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one 2 cm anti-aircraft gun The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

First patrol
U-53 began her first patrol on 29 August 1939, just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, under the command of Ernst-Günter Heinicke. Also aboard was Ernst Sobe, the commander of the 7th ("Wegener") Flotilla. U-53 sank two British ships on this patrol: the tanker SS Cheyenne and the freighter SS Kafiristan.

Second patrol
A second patrol under Heinicke, beginning on 21 October produced no results. U-53, along with GS U-25 (1936) and GS U-26 (1936), was to penetrate the Strait of Gibraltar and raid Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. Daunted by the strong British forces at the straits, Heinicke did not attempt to force them and was transferred to the merchant raider GERMAN AUXILIARY CRUISER Widder on his return to Germany.

Third patrol
Harald Grosse replaced Heinicke for U-53's third and final war patrol, which began on 2 February 1940. Grosse sank six ships for, including the Spanish neutral Banderas, whose sinking strained relations between Germany and Spain. On 23 or 24 February (sources vary), U-53 was engaged and sunk by depth charges dropped by the British destroyer HMS Gurkha (F20) west of the Orkney Islands with the loss of all hands, (42 dead).

In popular culture
In the 1953 film The Cruel Sea U53 was sunk by the fictitious frigate HMS Saltash Castle, her only kill.

In the film Eye of the Needle U-53 is the escape U-boat of the Needle (played by Donald Sutherland) waiting offshore. This is supposed to happen in 1944 in the timeline of the film.

In the 1958 film I Was Monty's Double U-53 is the U-boat which drops off the German commandos attempting to kidnap who they think is General Montgomery (actually his double played by M.E. Clifton James).

In the 1959 British comedy film Don't Panic Chaps U-53 is depicted as the submarine that surfaces to pick up the "stranded" German forces on an unnamed Adriatic Island.