SM U-88

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-88.

History

German Empire
Name:	U-88
Ordered:	23 June 1915
Builder:	Kaiserliche Werft Danzig
Yard number:	32
Laid down:	20 November 1915
Launched:	22 June 1916
Commissioned:	7 April 1917
Fate:	5 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:	65.80 m (215 ft 11 in) (o/a) 50.07 m (164 ft 3 in) (pressure hull)
Beam:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) (oa) 4.18 m (13 ft 9 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	9.35 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught:	3.88 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
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2 × 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) propellers
Speed:	16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) surfaced 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 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 depth:	50 m (164 ft 1 in)
Complement:	4 officers, 32 enlisted
Armament:	4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes (two bow, two stern) 10-12 torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun
Service record
Part of:	Imperial German Navy III Flotilla
Commanders:	Kptlt. Walther Schwieger^[3] 23 July 1916 – 5 September 1917
Operations:	4 patrols 18 May – 5 September 1917^[1]
Victories:	12 merchant ships sunk (39,382 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.

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 being chased by HMS Stonecrop, hit a British mine and sank in the North Sea north of Terschelling at 53°57′N 4°55′E / 53.950°N 4.917°E / 53.950; 4.917Coordinates: 53°57′N 4°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] It had a total length of 215 ft 11 in (65.81 m), a pressure hull length of 164 ft 3 in (50.06 m), a beam of 20 ft 4 in (6.20 m), a height of 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m), and a draught of 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m). 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. It had two shafts and two 1.66 m (5.4 ft) propellers. It was capable of operating at depths of up to 50 metres (160 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 9.1 knots (16.9 km/h; 10.5 mph).^[2] When submerged, it could operate for 56 nautical miles (104 km; 64 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph); when surfaced, it 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 centimetres (4.1 in) deck machine gun, and one 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) deck machine gun. It had a complement of thirty-six (thirty-two crew members and four officers).^[2]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage^{[Note 2]}	Fate^[4]
23 May 1917	Hector	Norway	1,146	Sunk
25 May 1917	Hilary	United Kingdom	6,329	Sunk
28 May 1917	Roma	Russian Empire	417	Damaged
29 May 1917	Ashleaf	United Kingdom	5,768	Sunk
31 May 1917	Jeanne Cordonnier	France	2,194	Sunk
31 May 1917	Miyazaki Maru	Japan	7,892	Sunk
1 June 1917	Cavina	United Kingdom	6,539	Sunk
6 June 1917	Eemdijk	Netherlands	3,048	Sunk
7 June 1917	John Bakke	Norway	1,611	Sunk
29 June 1917	Escondido	Norway	1,066	Sunk
3 July 1917	Iceland	United Kingdom	1,501	Sunk
7 July 1917	Coral Leaf	United Kingdom	428	Damaged
13 July 1917	Ceres	Denmark	1,166	Sunk
16 July 1917	Vesta	Denmark	1,122	Sunk

References

Notes

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

Citations

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.
1 2 3 4 5 Gröner 1991, pp. 12-14.
↑ 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.
↑ 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

Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

German Type U 87 submarines

U-87 U-88 U-89 U-90 U-91 U-92

Preceded by:Type U 81 Followed by:Type U 93 List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1917

Shipwrecks	1 Sep: Akaroa 2 Sep: SM U-28 3 Sep: Dundee 5 Sep: SM U-88 6 Sep: Alesia 7 Sep: Minnehaha 10 Sep: SM UC-42 11 Sep: SM U-49 12 Sep: SM U-45 14 Sep: USS D-2 16 Sep: HMS G9 17 Sep: SM UC-45 18 Sep: Port Kembla 21 Sep: Radaas 23 Sep: Rosehill 26 Sep: SM UC-33 27 Sep: SM UC-6 29 Sep: SM UC-55 Unknown date: SM U-66, SM UB-32, SM UC-21

Other incidents	2 Sep: Dundee 5 Sep: Alesia 16 Sep: HMS Pasley

1916 1917 1918 August 1917 October 1917

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