List of all U-boats

U-15

Type

IIB

 
Ordered2 Feb 1935
Laid down24 Sep 1935 Deutsche Werke AG, Kiel (werk 250)
Launched15 Feb 1936
Commissioned7 Mar 1936Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt
Commanders
30 Sep 1935 - 1 Oct 1937  Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt
16 May 1936 - 2 Aug 1936  Kptlt. Hans Cohausz
1 Oct 1937 - 26 Oct 1939  Kptlt. Heinz Buchholz
27 Oct 1939 - 30 Jan 1940  Kptlt. Peter Frahm
Career
5 patrols
1 Mar 1936-1 Aug 1939  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Sep 1939-31 Dec 1939  1. Flottille (active service)
1 Jan 1940-30 Jan 1940  1. Flottille (active service)
Successes3 ships sunk, total tonnage 4,532 GRT
Fate

Sank 30 Jan, 1940 in the North Sea at Hoofden, after being rammed in error by the German torpedo boat Iltis. 25 dead (all hands lost).

Loss position

See the 3 ships hit by U-15 - View the 5 war patrols

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-15 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.


Media links


U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1
Wynn, Kenneth


German U-Boat Losses During World War II
Niestle, Axel


Hitler's U-boat War
Blair, Clay

There was another U-15 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 18 Sep 1911 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 7 Jul 1912. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 15 during WWI.