| German submarine U-988 | |
|---|---|
| Career (Nazi Germany) | |
| Name: | U-988 |
| Ordered: | 25 May 1941 |
| Builder: | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number: | 188 |
| Laid down: | 2 October 1942 |
| Launched: | 3 June 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 15 July 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk on 29 June 1944 in the English Channel at 49°37′N 03°41′W / 49.617°N 3.683°WCoordinates: 49°37′N 03°41′W / 49.617°N 3.683°W by RN frigates HMS Essington, HMS Cooke, HMS Duckworth and HMS Domett, and RAF Liberator |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement: |
769 tonnes (757 long tons) surfaced 871 t (857 long tons) submerged |
| Length: |
67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) o/a 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft 6-cylinder 4-stroke F46 diesel engines, totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 1920-490 2 × BBC GG UB 720/8 electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW) and max rpm: 296 |
| Speed: |
17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 80 nmi (150 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: |
230 m (750 ft) Crush depth: 250–295 m (820–968 ft) |
| Complement: | 44–52 officers & ratings |
| Armament: |
5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern) 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) Various AA guns |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (Training) 15 July 1943 - 31 May 1944 7th U-boat Flotilla 1–29 June 1944 |
| Commanders: |
Oblt.z.S. Erich Dobberstein[1] 15 July 1943 - 29 June 1944 |
| Operations: | 1 patrol |
| Victories: |
1 merchant ship total loss (7,058 GRT) 1 auxiliary warship sunk (2,385 GRT) 1 warship total loss (925 tons) |
German submarine U-988 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. She was laid down on 2 October 1942 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 188, launched on 3 June 1943 and commissioned on 15 July 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Erich Dobberstein.
Service History[]
The boat's career began with training at 5th Flotilla on 15 July 1943, followed by active service on 1 June 1944 as part of the 7th Flotilla.
Wolfpacks[]
U-988 took part in no wolfpacks.
Fate[]
U-988 was sunk on 29 June 1944 in the English Channel at 49°37′N 03°41′W / 49.617°N 3.683°W by RN frigates HMS Essington, HMS Cooke, HMS Duckworth and HMS Domett, and RAF Liberator of 244 Squadron.
Summary of Raiding Career[]
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1944 | HMS Pink | 925 | Total loss | |
| 28 June 1944 | HMS Maid of Orleans | 2,385 | Sunk | |
| 29 June 1944 | Empire Portia | 7,058 | Total loss |
Sources[]
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Erich Dobberstein". http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/207.html. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-988". http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u988.html. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
Bibliography[]
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). Ships hit by U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
- Kemp, Paul (1997). Ships hit by U-Boats Destroyed – German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour Press. p. 200. ISBN 1-85409-321-5.
External links[]
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC U-boat U-988". http://www.uboat.net/boats/u988.htm. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
The original article can be found at German submarine U-988 and the edit history here.