| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-98 |
| Ordered | 30 May 1938 |
| Builder | Germaniawerft,Kiel |
| Yard number | 603 |
| Laid down | 27 September 1939 |
| Launched | 31 August 1940 |
| Commissioned | 12 October 1940 |
| Fate | Sunk, 15 November 1942[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type VIICsubmarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Height | 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[2][3] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 30 006 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | |
German submarineU-98 was aType VIICU-boat ofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine duringWorld War II, operating from March 1941 until she was sunk in November 1942.
She waslaunched on 31 August 1940 andcommissioned on 12 October, with a crew of 46 under the command ofKapitänleutnantRobert Gysae, operating fromSt. Nazaire in France. On 24 March 1942 command was transferred toKorvettenkapitän Wilhelm Schulze. Her final commander wasOberleutnant zur See Kurt Eichmann, who took over in October 1942.[2] She was a member of sixwolfpacks.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorterType VIIB submarines.U-98 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.[4] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), apressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), abeam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and adraught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by twoGermaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylindersuperchargeddiesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, twoAEG GU 460/8–27double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft)propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).U-98 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteentorpedoes, one8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had acomplement of between forty-four and sixty.[4]
U-98 sailed fromKiel under the command of Robert Gysae on 12 March 1941, and out into the Atlantic south of Iceland. On 27 March she sank theBritish 6,695 GRTKoranton, a straggler from Convoy SC 25, with a single torpedo south southwest ofReykjavík. The ship sank quickly; she was loaded with 8,769 tons of pig iron.[5] On 4 AprilU-98 joined awolfpack in an attack onConvoy SC 26.[6] She sank theNorwegian 2,467 GRTHelle,[7] and the British 5,122 GRTWellcombe.[8] On 9 April she sank theDutch 1,304 GRTPrins Willem II, from Convoy HX 117.[9] The U-boat then arrived atLorient on the French Atlantic coast on 14 April.
Sailing from Lorient on 1 May 1941,U-98 headed once more out into the Atlantic, this time to the waters south ofCape Farewell, Greenland. There at 04:00 hours on 13 May, she spotted the British 10,549 GRTarmed merchant cruiser (AMC)HMS Salopian, escorting Convoy SC 30 in fog.U-98's first attack, with twotorpedoes missed, as did her second at 06:20. A third attack an hour later was more successful, hitting the AMC amidships and in the bow, although not preventing the ship from opening fire on the submarine, which forced the boat to dive. However, these hits brought downSalopian's radio antenna and fractured a steam line, shutting down her engines.[10][clarification needed]
At 08:00 and 08:50, two more torpedoes hitSalopian in the engine room. Finally at 10:43, a single torpedo hit the stricken vessel amidships. She broke in two, and sank within two minutes. In all, nine torpedoes had been used.[10] Former merchant vessels such asSalopian, when converted for naval use, had their cargo holds filled with buoyant material such as empty barrels, so they could withstand a considerable number of torpedo hits and remain afloat.[11]
The next daySalopian's commander,CaptainSir John Meynell Alleyne and 277 officers and ratings were picked up by thedestroyerHMS Impulsive. One officer and two ratings were lost.[12]
On 20 May 1941U-98 sank the British 5,356 GRTRothermere, part of convoy HX 126, which had scattered.[13] The next day she sank the British 7,402 GRTMarconi, part of another dispersed convoy, OB 322.[14]U-98 arrived at her new homeport at St. Nazaire on 29 May 1941.
Sailing from St. Nazaire on 23 June 1941,U-98 attacked Convoy OB 341 northwest of theAzores on 9 July and sank the British 5,945 GRTDesigner,[15] she also destroyed the British 4,897 GRTInverness.[16] She returned to St. Nazaire on 23 July.
Departing from St. Nazaire on 31 August 1941,U-98 patrolled the waters west of theBritish Isles, and on 16 September fired four single torpedoes at Convoy SC 42 north-west ofSt. Kilda, sinking the British 4,392 GRTJedmoor.[17] She returned to St. Nazaire on 26 September.
U-98 left St. Nazaire on 29 October 1941, and returned on 29 November, after a patrol in the Atlantic, north of the Azores, lasting 32 days, but with no results.[18]
U-98 sailed on 18 January 1942, for her last patrol under the command of Robert Gysae, and headed across the Atlantic to the east coast of Canada. There, on 15 February 1942, she torpedoed the British 5,298 GRTBiela, originally from Convoy ON 62, sinking her about 400 miles southeast ofCape Race (on the eastern tip ofNewfoundland). There were no survivors, even though the ship's crew had taken to the boats.[19] The U-boat returned to St. Nazaire on 27 February.
On 31 March 1942, now commanded byKorvettenkapitän Wilhelm Schulze,[2]U-98 sailed from St. Nazaire. However, at 00:47 on 2 April, still in theBay of Biscay the U-boat was attacked by aWhitley bomber of502 SquadronRAF Coastal Command with six 250-pound (110 kg)depth charges.U-98 crash-dived and escaped with minor damage.[2] She then sailed for the coast ofFlorida, but had no success, returning to port on 6 June 1942.[20]
U-98 next patrol began on 14 July 1942, it took her back to the Florida coast to laymines, one of which damaged theAmerican 185 tonsminesweeperBold (AMc-67) on 10 August 1942.[21] She returned home on 16 September.
U-98's ninth and final patrol was under the command ofOblt.z.S. Kurt Eichmann. The U-boat departed St. Nazaire on 22 October 1942, and after a voyage out to the mid-Atlantic without result[22] was sunk on 15 November west of theStrait of Gibraltar at36°09′N7°42′W / 36.150°N 7.700°W /36.150; -7.700, bydepth charges from the British destroyerHMS Wrestler, all 46 hands were lost.[2]
U-98 took part in sixwolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 March 1941 | Koranton |  United Kingdom | 6,695 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1941 | Helle |  Norway | 2,467 | Sunk |
| 4 April 1941 | Welcombe | United Kingdom | 5,122 | Sunk |
| 9 April 1941 | Prins Wellen II |  Netherlands | 1,304 | Sunk |
| 13 May 1941 | HMSSalopian |  Royal Navy | 10,549 | Sunk |
| 20 May 1941 | Rothermere | United Kingdom | 5,356 | Sunk |
| 21 May 1941 | Marconi | United Kingdom | 7,402 | Sunk |
| 9 July 1941 | Designer | United Kingdom | 5,945 | Sunk |
| 9 July 1941 | Inverness | United Kingdom | 4,897 | Sunk |
| 16 September 1941 | Jedmoor | United Kingdom | 4,392 | Sunk |
| 15 February 1942 | Biela | United Kingdom | 5,298 | Sunk |
| 10 August 1942 | USS Bold |  United States Navy | 185 | Damaged (mine) |
U-98 was originally thought to have been sunk on 19 November 1942 southwest ofCape St. Vincent, by aLockheed Hudson of608 Squadron.U-413 was the target—she was severely damaged.
