SM U-88

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History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameU-88
Ordered23 June 1915
Builder Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number32
Laid down20 November 1915
Launched22 June 1916
Commissioned7 April 1917
Fate5 September 1917 - Presumably mined off Terschelling. 43 dead (all hands lost) [1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type German Type U 87 submarine
Displacement
  • 757 t (745 long tons) surfaced
  • 998 t (982 long tons) submerged
Length
Beam
  • 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa)
  • 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height9.35 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught3.88 m (12 ft 9 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × 2,400  PS (1,765  kW; 2,367  shp) surfaced
  • 2 × 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 shp) submerged
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 × 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers
Speed
  • 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) surfaced
  • 8.6 knots (15.9 km/h; 9.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 11,380  nmi (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 56 nmi (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement4 officers, 32 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:
  • III Flotilla
  • 18 May – 5 September 1917 [1]
Commanders:
Operations: 4 patrols
Victories:
  • 11 merchant ships sunk
    (33,053  GRT)
  • 1 auxiliary warship sunk
    (6,329  GRT)
  • 2 merchant ships damaged
    (845  GRT)

SM U-88 [Note 1] was a Type U 87 submarine built for the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in World War I. U-88 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Contents

U-88 is most notable for sinking and taking with her Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger, responsible for sinking the RMS Lusitania when he was commander of U-20. The submarine came to an end on 5 September 1917 when she struck a British mine and sank in the North Sea north of Terschelling at 53°57′N4°55′E / 53.950°N 4.917°E / 53.950; 4.917 . Everyone on board U-88 was killed. [1]

Design

German Type U 87 submarines were preceded by the shorter Type U 81 submarines. U-88 had a displacement of 757 tonnes (745 long tons) when at the surface and 998 tonnes (982 long tons) while submerged. [2] She had a total length of 65.80 m (215 ft 11 in), a pressure hull length of 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in), and a draught of 3.88 m (12 ft 9 in). The submarine was powered by two 2,400 metric horsepower (1,800 kW; 2,400 shp) engines for use while surfaced, and two 1,200 metric horsepower (880 kW; 1,200 shp) engines for use while submerged. She had two propeller shafts. She was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft). [2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 8.6 knots (15.9 km/h; 9.9 mph). [2] When submerged, she could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 11,380 nautical miles (21,080 km; 13,100 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-88 was fitted with four 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (two at the bow and two at the stern), ten to twelve torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun, and probably one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck gun. She had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers). [2]

Summary of raiding history

DateNameNationalityTonnage [Note 2] Fate [4]
23 May 1917 Hector Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,146Sunk
25 May 1917 HMS Hilary Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy 6,329Sunk
28 May 1917 Roma Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire 417Damaged
29 May 1917 Ashleaf Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 5,768Sunk
31 May 1917 Jeanne Cordonnier Flag of France.svg  France 2,194Sunk
31 May 1917 Miyazaki Maru Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 7,892Sunk
1 June 1917 Cavina Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 6,539Sunk
6 June 1917 Eemdijk Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3,048Sunk
7 June 1917 John Bakke Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,611Sunk
29 June 1917 Escondido Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1,066Sunk
3 July 1917 Iceland Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1,501Sunk
7 July 1917 Coral Leaf Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 428Damaged
13 July 1917 Ceres Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,166Sunk
16 July 1917 Vesta Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,122Sunk

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
  2. ↑ Tonnages are in gross register tons

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: U 88". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Gröner 1991, pp. 12–14.
  3. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boat commanders: Walter Schwieger (Pour le Merite)". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U 88". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 December 2014.

Bibliography

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