| Career (Nazi Germany) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-488 |
| Ordered: | 17 July 1941 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 557 |
| Laid down: | 3 January 1942 |
| Launched: | 17 October 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 1 February 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 26 April 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | German Type XIV submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,668 long tons (1,695 t) surfaced 1,932 long tons (1,963 t) submerged |
| Length: | 67.1 m (220 ft 2 in) overall 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: | 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in) overall 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) pressure hull |
| Height: | 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in) |
| Draft: | 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Germaniawerft F46 supercharged 6-cylinder diesel engines, 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) 2 × SSW Gu343/388-8 double-acting electric motors 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Speed: | 14.9 knots (27.6 km/h) surfaced 6.2 knots (11.5 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 12,350 nmi (22,870 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) surfaced 55 nmi (102 km) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth: | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement: | 53–60 men |
| Armament: | • 2 × 37 mm AA guns • 2 × 20 mm AA guns |
| Service record[1][2] | |
| Part of: | 4th U-boat Flotilla (1 February 1943–30 April 1943) 12th U-boat Flotilla (1 May 1943–26 April 1944) |
| Commanders: | Oblt. Erwin Bartke (1 February 1943–February 1944) Oblt. Bruno Studt (February 1944–26 April 1944) |
| Operations: | 1st patrol: 18 May–10 July 1943 2nd patrol: 7 September–12 December 1943 3rd patrol:22 February–26 April 1944 |
| Victories: | None |
German submarine U-488 was a Type XIV supply and replenishment U-boat ("Milchkuh") of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Its keel was laid down on 3 January 1942 by Germaniawerft of Kiel. It was commissioned on 1 February 1943, with Leutnant zur See Erwin Bartke in command. Bartke was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See by February 1944 when he was relieved by Oblt. Bruno Studt.[1]
U-488 conducted three patrols. As a supply boat, it avoided combat.[1]
On 15 October 1943, Maschinenmaat Karl Bergmann died of an illness. On 25 November 1943, Matrosenobergefreiter Heinz Heinlein fell overboard. He was rescued, but died of heart failure shortly afterwards.[1]
On 26 April 1944, U-488 was sunk with all hands (64 dead) in the mid-Atlantic west of Cape Verde by depth charges from the United States destroyer escorts Frost (DE-144), Huse (DE-145), Barber (DE-161), and Snowden (DE-246).[1]
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