German submarine U-15 (1936)

For other ships with the same name, see German submarine U-15.

History
U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
Nazi Germany
Name:	U-15
Ordered:	2 February 1935
Builder:	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number:	250
Laid down:	24 September 1935
Launched:	15 February 1936
Commissioned:	7 March 1936
Fate:	Sunk 30 January 1940 in the North Sea at Hoofden. 25 dead^[1]
General characteristics
Class and type:	IIB coastal submarine
Displacement:	279 t (275 long tons) surfaced 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length:	42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam:	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height:	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught:	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power:	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Range:	1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	3 officers, 22 men
Armament:	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 1st U-boat Flotilla
Identification codes:	M 06 991
Commanders:	Werner von Schmidt Hans Cohausz Heinz Buchholz Peter Frahm
Operations:	Five
Victories:	Three ships sunk for a total of 4,532 GRT

The German submarine U-15 was a Type IIB U-boat of the Kriegsmarine. It was commissioned on 7 March 1936, following construction at the Deutsche Werke shipyards at Kiel. Its first commander was Werner von Schmidt. In its career, it completed five patrols, all while serving under the 1st U-boat Flotilla. It sank three ships.

Design

German Type IIB submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-15 had a displacement of 279 tonnes (275 long tons) when at the surface and 328 tonnes (323 long tons) while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was 250 long tons (250 t), however.^[2] The U-boat had a total length of 42.70 m (140 ft 1 in), a pressure hull length of 28.20 m (92 ft 6 in), a beam of 4.08 m (13 ft 5 in), a height of 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in), and a draught of 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in). The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of 700 metric horsepower (510 kW; 690 shp) for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 0.85 m (3 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 80–150 metres (260–490 ft).^[2]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).^[2] When submerged, the boat could operate for 35–42 nautical miles (65–78 km; 40–48 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). U-15 was fitted with three 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of twentyfive.^[2]

Fate

On 30 January 1940, U-15 was sunk in the North Sea at Hoofden, after being rammed by accident by the German torpedo boat Iltis. 25 men died; there were no survivors.^[1]

Summary of raiding history

Date	Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[3]
10 September 1939	Goodwood	United Kingdom	2,796	Sunk
21 September 1939	Orsa	United Kingdom	1,478	Sunk
28 December 1939	Resercho	United Kingdom	258	Sunk

References

1 2 Kemp 1997, p. 63
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 39–40.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-15". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Kemp, Paul (1997). U-Boats Destroyed, German submarine Losses in the World Wars. Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-515-3.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IIB boat U-15". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 15". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 30 January 2015.

German Type II submarines

Type IIA	U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6

Type IIB	U-7 U-8 U-9 U-10 U-11 U-12 U-13 U-14 U-15 U-16 U-17 U-18 U-19 U-20 U-21 U-22 U-23 U-24 U-120 U-121

Type IIC	U-56 U-57 U-58 U-59 U-60 U-61 U-62 U-63

Type IID	U-137 U-138 U-139 U-140 U-141 U-142 U-143 U-144 U-145 U-146 U-147 U-148 U-149 U-150 U-151 U-152

Preceded by: Type I Followed by: Type VII List of U-boats of Germany

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in January 1940

Shipwrecks	3 Jan: S-2 7 Jan: HMS Seahorse, HMS Undine 9 Jan: HMS Starfish 13 Jan: Aura II 19 Jan: HMS Grenville 21 Jan: HMS Exmouth 24 Jan: Ljubljana 26 Jan: HMS Durham Castle 30 Jan: U-15, U-55

Other incidents	13 Jan: Duchess of York, Duke of Lancaster, Herrlichkeit

1939 1940 1941 December 1939 February 1940

Coordinates: 54°24′N 7°50′E / 54.400°N 7.833°E / 54.400; 7.833

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