Kaiser, Karl-Ernst ('U-986')

Date of birth:: April 21st, 1920 (Hannover-Waldheim, Germany)
Date of death:: April 17th, 1944 (North Atlantic, South West of Ireland)
Buried on:: German Submarines Memorial
Nationality:: German

Biography

Crew 38
01.10.1938: entered in the Kriegsmarine as Offiziersanwärter
01.10.1938-07.1941: Grund- und Bordausbildung, Fähnrichslehrgänge - U-Bootsausbildung
01.07.1939: promoted to Seekadett
01.12.1939: promoted to Fähnrich zur See
01.08.1940: promoted to Oberfähnrich zur See
01.04.1941: promoted to Leutnant zur See
07.1941-01.1942: 1. and 2. Wachoffizier 'U 555'
01.1942-04.02.1942: Baubelehrung 'U 608' - 8. Kriegsschiffbaulehrabteilung - Hamburg
05.02.1942-04.1943: 1. Wachoffizier 'U 608'
04.1943-05.1943: Kommandanten-Lehrgang - 24. U-Flottille - Memel
01.04.1943: promoted to Oberleutnant zur See
05.1943-30.06.1943: Baubelehrung 'U 986' - 8. Kriegsschiffbaulehrabteilung - Hamburg
01.07.1943: 'U-986' commissioned / Indienststellung
01.07.1943-17.04.1944: Kommandant 'U 986'
01.07.1943-29.02.1944: 'U-986' training - 5. Flottille
08.02.1944: 'U-986' departed from Kiel for her 1st patrol - Wolfpack 'Preussen'
01.03.1944: activated during her 1st patrol - 6. Flottille
10.04.1944: 'U-986' sent its last radio message from approx. position 51.30N, 20.00W stating that it will commence its return voyage in two days and was ordered to head to Lorient, France.
17.04.1944: KIA when 'U 986' was sunk in the North Atlantic see, south-west of Ireland, in position 50.09N, 12.51W by depth charges sent from the US minesweeper USS Swift and the US submarine chaser USS PC-619
20.04.1944: 'U-986' was posted as missing after it failed to arrive in Lorient harbor
'U-986' emblem was depicted with a large U, inside of it were a crown, globe and a staff