SM UC-53 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy () during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 27 February 1917. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 April 1917 as SM UC-53."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" () and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine. In eight patrols UC-53 was credited with sinking 47 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. UC-53 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.
Design A Type UC II submarine, UC-53 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing (a total of ), two electric motors producing , and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 48 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . When submerged, she could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . UC-53 was fitted with six mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
Summary of raiding history DateNameNationalityTonnageMerchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.Fate4 June 1917City of Baroda5,032Sunk9 June 1917Lilly1,150Sunk9 June 1917Tordenvore1,565Sunk10 June 1917Ligeiro285Damaged10 June 1917Santa Maria204Sunk11 June 1917Sibens323Sunk12 June 1917Symra3,005Sunk16 June 1917Esperanza98Sunk16 June 1917F.7.SB.50Sunk21 June 1917Nord3,193Damaged9 August 1917Canara6,012Damaged10 August 1917Margherita66Sunk10 August 1917Tito Speri3,893Sunk13 August 1917Arcangelo Michele45Sunk12 August 1917Ansedonia270Sunk12 August 1917Ardita Carrara75Sunk13 August 1917Il Nuovo Leonardo34Sunk15 September 1917Cavi2,544Damaged18 September 1917Domenico Primo80Damaged19 September 1917Teresita136Sunk21 September 1917Christina32Sunk22 September 1917Primo65Sunk23 September 1917Argietta165Sunk23 September 1917Giuseppina Concettina31Sunk23 September 1917Irthington2,845Sunk24 September 1917Nuova Francesca45Sunk24 September 1917S. Espedito31Sunk8 December 1917Giuseppe Naccari128Sunk9 December 1917Cerea4,295Damaged9 December 1917Costas3,278Sunk10 December 1917Antonio Magliulo520Sunk13 December 1917Karen1,689Sunk14 December 1917HMS Brig 1120Damaged25 December 1917Hekla937Sunk25 January 1918Carignano2,688Sunk26 January 1918Asimina2,878Sunk29 January 1918Geo3,048Sunk30 January 1918Fratelli Barrera88Sunk30 January 1918Michele Padre230Sunk24 March 1918La Nuova Felice72Sunk24 March 1918Nuovo Genio35Sunk24 March 1918Regina Immacolata36Sunk24 March 1918Tre Sorelle Salvo26Sunk27 March 1918Castrenzo Coppola94Sunk4 June 1918Michelangelo2,456Damaged8 June 1918Concettina1,271Sunk8 June 1918La Bayonnaise2,425Sunk10 June 1918Brodholme5,747Damaged22 September 1918Gorsemore3,079Sunk28 September 1918Caraibe2,976Damaged30 September 1918Francesco Padre101Sunk30 September 1918Gabriela Costela105Sunk30 September 1918Giovanni Costa102Sunk30 September 1918San Francesco P.41Sunk1 October 1918Giuseppino M.48Sunk1 October 1918S. Giuseppe A.56Sunk5 October 1918Rosa908Damaged20 November 1918War Typhoon3,116Damaged15 January 1919Chaouia4,334Sunk
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