The Wrecks of the U-53

On October 7, 1916 the German U-Boat U-53 showed up unexpectedly at Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. World War 1 was raging, although the United States remained firmly neutral. The U-53 captain, Hans Rose, paid courtesy visits to local US Navy commanders, and in return had them visit his U-Boat. The visit was friendly and accommodating, if not a bit strange. Curious onlookers snapped photos and gathered their boats around the U-53. The next morning, the U-53 commenced sinking Allied ships, and within 24 hours the U-53 sank 3 UK ships, 1 Norwegian ship, and 1 Dutch ship. Seventeen US Destroyers were dispatched to rescue survivors, but, being neutral, did not fire on the U-53 and Rose slipped away. In total, the U-53 sank 78 ships from 1916 to 1918.

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For notes, links, and photos related to this episode, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2023/02/07/wrecks-of-the-u-53/

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