SM U-88

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

History
German Empire
NameU-88
Ordered23 June 1915
BuilderKaiserliche 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 typeType 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.

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 sank on 5 September 1917 when she presumably struck a British mine in the North Sea north of Terschelling at 53°57′N 4°55′E / 53.950°N 4.917°E / 53.950; 4.917. Everyone on board U-88 was killed.[1]

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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.


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