German submarine U-988 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.She was laid down on 2 October 1942 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 188, launched on 3 June 1943 and commissioned on 15 July 1943 under Oberleutnant zur See Erich Dobberstein.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-988 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two Brown, Boveri & Cie GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of . When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-988 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and one twin 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
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 (54.7667°N 31°W). As a result of the collision, U-983 sank with the loss of five of her 43 crew.[1]
U-988 began active service on 1 June 1944 as part of the 7th U-boat Flotilla.
U-988 took part in no wolfpacks.
U-988 was sunk by depth charges from a US Liberator on 22 June 1944. There were no survivors.[2]
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.[3] It is believed that U-988 attacked three ships on 27–29 June and then was sunk on 29/30 June 1944 in the English Channel west of Guernsey at 49.6167°N -44°W at dawn by the Royal Navy frigates,,, and, after being damaged by Royal Air Force Liberators of No. 244 Squadron.[4]
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 49.05°N -52°W.[3] Then, the submarine sank on 29/30 June could have been U-1191.[3]