SM UB-53

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=UB 148 at sea 2.jpeg

|Ship caption=UB-148 at sea, a U-boat similar to UB-53.

}}

{{Infobox ship career

|Ship country=German Empire

|Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}

|Ship name=UB-53

|Ship ordered=20 May 1916Rössler, p.65

|Ship builder=Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

|Ship original cost=3,276,000 German Papiermark

|Ship yard number=298

|Ship laid down=

|Ship launched=9 March 1917{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=25-30}}

|Ship completed=

|Ship commissioned=21 August 1917{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=25-30}}

|Ship fate=Sunk 3 August 1918 at {{coord|39|40|N|18|40|E|display=title, inline}} by mines, 10 dead{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=25-30}}

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption={{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=25-30}}

|Ship class=Type UB III submarine

|Ship displacement=*{{convert|516|t|LT|lk=on|abbr=on}} surfaced

• {{convert|651|t|LT|abbr=on}} submerged

|Ship length= {{convert|55.30|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (o/a)

|Ship beam={{convert|5.80|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught={{convert|3.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship propulsion=*2 × propeller shaft

• 2 × MAN four-stroke 6-cylinder diesel engines, {{convert|809|kW|bhp|abbr=on|order=flip|lk=in}}
• 2 × Siemens-Schuckert electric motors, {{convert|580|kW|shp|order=flip|abbr=on|lk=in}}

|Ship speed=*{{convert|13.6|kn|lk=in}} surfaced

• {{convert|8|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=*{{convert|9,040|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|6|kn}} surfaced

• {{convert|55|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged

|Ship test depth={{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|Ship complement=3 officers, 31 men{{sfn|Gröner|1991|pp=25-30}}

|Ship armament=*5 × {{convert|50|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)

• 10 torpedoes
• 1 × 8.8 cm SK L/30 naval gun

|Ship notes=

}}

{{Infobox service record

|is_ship=yes

|is_multi=yes

|partof=*Mittelmeer / Mittelmeer I Flotilla

• 1 November 1917 – 3 August 1918

|commanders=*Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Robert Sprenger

• 21 August 1917 – 3 August 1918

|operations=5 patrols

|victories=*14 merchant ships sunk
({{GRT|16,549}})

}}