HMS L53

HMS L53 was a late-model L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was sold for scrap in 1939.

Design and description
L52 and its successors were modified to maximise the number of 21-inch (53.3 cm) torpedoes carried in the bow. The submarine had a length of 235 ft overall, a beam of 23 ft and a mean draft of 13 ft. They displaced 960 LT on the surface and 1150 LT submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 44 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of 150 ft.

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder Vickers 1200 bhp diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600 hp electric motor. They could reach 17 kn on the surface and 10.5 kn underwater. On the surface, the L class had a range of 4200 nmi at 10 kn.

The boats were armed with six 21-inch torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried eight reload torpedoes for a grand total of a dozen torpedoes. They were also armed with two 4 in deck guns.

Construction and career
HMS L53 was laid down on 19 June 1917 by Armstrong Whitworth at their Newcastle-Upon-Tyne shipyard and launched on 12 August 1919. She was then towed to HM Dockyard, Chatham for completion on 16 January 1925. HMS L53 was sold for scrap on 23 January 1939.