German submarine U-988
History | |
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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 22 June 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
Displacement | |
Length |
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Beam |
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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 53 999 |
Commanders: |
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Operations: |
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Victories: | None |
German submarine U-988 was a
. She wasDesign
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
U-988′s career began on 15 July 1943 with training as part of the 5th U-boat Flotilla. On 8 September 1943, she collided with U-983 in the Baltic Sea north of Loba (54°46′N 17°14′E / 54.767°N 17.233°E). As a result of the collision, U-983 sank with the loss of five of her 43 crew.[3]
U-988 began active service on 1 June 1944 as part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla.
Wolfpacks
U-988 took part in no wolfpacks.
Fate
U-988 was sunk by depth charges from a US Liberator on 22 June 1944. All hands lost after the attack.[4]
Previously recorded fate
U-988 sent her last radio message on 18 June, informing about an air attack, and was lost with all hands thereafter, and her fate is not certain.
Alternate fate
There appeared however a theory, that U-988 could have been sunk after an attack of Polish Wellington Mk XIV from 304 Squadron, piloted by Leopold Antoniewicz, which was credited with sinking a submarine on 18 June in the approximate position 49°03′N 04°48′W / 49.050°N 4.800°W.[5] Then, the submarine sank on 29/30 June could have been U-1191.[5]
References
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Erich Dobberstein". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ "U-983". Uboat. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-988". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ ISSN 1426-529X.
- ^ "Clearing The Channel: Air Force, Part 33". Legion. 25 June 2009.
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.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- 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.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). Ships hit by U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC U-boat U-988". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2015.