German submarine U-15 (1936)
![]() U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
| |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
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 | Type IIB coastal submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length |
|
Beam |
|
Height | 8.60 m (28 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 3.90 m (12 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Range |
|
Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
Complement | 3 officers, 22 men |
Armament |
|
Service record | |
Part of: |
|
Identification codes: | M 06 991 |
Commanders: |
|
Operations: |
|
Victories: |
3 merchant ships sunk (4,532 GRT) |
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 . 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 | ![]() |
2,796 | Sunk |
21 October 1939 | Orsa | ![]() |
1,478 | Sunk |
28 December 1939 | Resercho | ![]() |
258 | Sunk |
References[]
- ^ a b Kemp 1997, p. 63
- ^ a b c d 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
- U-boats commissioned in 1936
- U-boats sunk in 1940
- World War II submarines of Germany
- World War II shipwrecks in the North Sea
- U-boats sunk by German warships
- 1936 ships
- U-boats sunk in collisions
- Ships built in Kiel
- U-boat accidents
- Ships lost with all hands
- Maritime incidents in January 1940