In September 1916, Rose brought U-53 to Newport, Rhode Island, to the surprise of American authorities. He proceeded to dock and then invite American naval officers and their wives aboard to view his vessel. After delivering a message to the German Ambassador he proceeded offshore to the lightship Nantucket. He sent five or six ships to the bottom, after questioning their captains on their cargo and ordering the abandonment of their ships.

On March 11, 1917, Rose, still in command of U-53, torpedoed and sank the 6705 ton Cunard Liner RMS Folia. On December 6, 1917, Rose torpedoed and sank USS Jacob Jones, the first American destroyer lost in the First World War. The torpedo hit Jacob Jones at 3,000 yards (2,700 m), the longest successful torpedo shot on record at the time.^{[citation needed]} In all, he sank 81 ships totalling 220,892 gross register tons (GRT) (excluding Jacob Jones) and damaged another nine.^[1]

On December 20, 1917. Rose was awarded the Pour le Mérite. He was also awarded the Ritterkreuz des Hohenzollerschen Hausordens mit Schwertern (Knights Cross of the Hohenzollern House Order with Swords).^{[citation needed]}

Hans Rose was in command of 1. Unterseeboots-Ausbildungsabteilung (U-boat training unit) from February to May 1940.

• uboat.net webpage - Description of U-boat commands and sinkings by Hans Rose
• theirishriviera.com webpage - Info about RMS Folia
• National Maritime Museum webpage - Portrait of Commander Rose on the deck of U-53 in the collection of the National Maritime Museum