German submarine U-88 (1941)
History | |
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Nazi Germany | |
Name | U-88 |
Ordered | 25 January 1939 |
Builder | Flender Werke, Lübeck |
Yard number | 292 |
Laid down | 1 July 1940 |
Launched | 16 August 1941 |
Commissioned | 15 October 1941 |
Fate | Sunk 12 September 1942 south of Svalbard by HMS Faulknor[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | |
Test depth |
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Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
Armament |
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Service record | |
Part of: |
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Identification codes: | M 27 945 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: |
2 merchant ships sunk (12,304 GRT) |
German submarine U-88 was a
.She was laid down at the Flender Werke in Lübeck as yard number 292, launched on 16 August 1941 and commissioned on 15 October with Kapitänleutnant Heino Bohmann in command.
She was a fairly successful boat, succeeding in sinking 12,304 GRT of Allied shipping in a career lasting just one year over three patrols.
Design
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).
Service history
First patrol
Having moved from Kiel to Kirkenes in Norway in April 1942, U-88 departed for her first patrol on the 29th. She returned on 3 May.
Second patrol
The boat moved from Kirkenes to Narvik in early May and set-off for her second patrol on 17 June 1942. She sank two American ships, part of the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17, on 5 July. After a three-hour pursuit, the Carlton was hit by a torpedo which did not detonate. A second torpedo exploded on impact, the ship sank in ten minutes. U-88 then hit the Daniel Morgan which had already been attacked by German aircraft. Three men died, there were 51 survivors.
Third patrol and loss
U-88 left Narvik on 25 August 1942 for her final patrol. She was sunk south of
Alternate account of loss
U-88 was sunk on 14 September 1942 by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Onslow.[3]
Wolfpacks
U-88 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
- Strauchritter (29 April - 2 May 1942)
- Eisteufel (21 June - 11 July 1942)
- Trägertod (12 September 1942)
Summary of raiding history
Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 July 1942 | Carlton | United States | 5,127 | Sunk |
5 July 1942 | Daniel Morgan | United States | 7,177 | Sunk |
See also
References
- ^ Kemp 1999, p. 89.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Smith 1968, pp. 138–140.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-88". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Kemp, Paul (1999). U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.
- Smith, Peter (1968). Destroyer Leader: The Story of HMS Faulknor. London: William Kimber & Co.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-88". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- Hofmann, Markus. "U 88". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 26 December 2014.