List of all U-boats
U-415
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||
| Ordered | 15 Aug 1940 | |||||||||||
| Laid down | 12 Jul 1941 | Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 116) | ||||||||||
| Launched | 9 May 1942 | |||||||||||
| Commissioned | 5 Aug 1942 | Oblt. Kurt Neide | ||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career 7 patrols |
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| Successes | 1 ship sunk, total tonnage 4,917 GRT 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,340 tons 1 ship damaged, total tonnage 5,486 GRT | |||||||||||
| Fate | Sunk at 0915hrs on 14 July, 1944 near Brest, France, west of the torpedo-net barrier, in position 48.24N, 04.30W, by a mine. 2 dead, unknown number of survivors. | |||||||||||
| Loss position | ||||||||||||
Wolfpack operations
U-415 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
Seeteufel (21 Mar 1943 - 30 Mar 1943)
Meise (11 Apr 1943 - 24 Apr 1943)
Coronel (4 Dec 1943 - 8 Dec 1943)
Coronel 2 (8 Dec 1943 - 14 Dec 1943)
Coronel 3 (14 Dec 1943 - 17 Dec 1943)
Borkum (18 Dec 1943 - 26 Dec 1943)
Preussen (7 Mar 1944 - 17 Mar 1944)
Attacks on this boat
1 May 1943
08.20 hrs, NW of Corunna, Spain inbound: 6 depth charges from a British Halifax bomber (RAF Sqdn 502/C, pilot F/O R. Houston) caused serious damage. (Sources: Norman Franks)
1 May 1943
11.36 hrs: an Australian Sunderland flying boat (RAAF Sqdn 461/M, pilot F/Lt E.C. Smith) depth charged the boat. No damage. (Sources: Norman Franks)
1 May 1943
At 17.35 hours, the boat was attacked by a British Whitley aircraft (RAF Sqdn 612 / E, pilot F/Sgt Norman Earnshaw). She dived and the aircraft made two runs, first 6 depth charges without results and then a better run with 2 depth charges which seriously damaged the boat, which was able to limp into Brest on 5 May. (Sources: Norman Franks)
14 Jun 1943
In the afternoon, a British Whitley bomber (RAF OTU 10/E, pilot Sgt Manson) found a group of three outbound boats (U-159, U-415 and U-634) and sent a contact report instead of attacking. When the boats dived, the aircraft attacked, dropping four depth charges on U-415 at 15.54 hrs. No damage. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)
24 Jul 1943
While attacking a convoy off Trinidad the boat was itself attacked by a "corvette", but escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 366)
30 Oct 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Wellington HF205 (RAF Sqdn 612/C, pilot F/O R.S. Yeadon)
05.42 hrs, Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal, outbound: the Wellington made a strafing run and dropped four depth charges using the Leigh Light, but was hit by flak and crashed into the sea about 50m astern of U-415, killing the crew of six. Damage to U-415 forced her to return to base.
(Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)5 Jan 1944
During the night a British Halifax bomber (Sqdn 58, pilot I.J.M. Christie) dropped 6 depth charges, but failed to sink the boat, which returned fire and dived to escape. U-415 arrived at Brest the following day. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 486)
16 Mar 1944
Severe damage caused by escorts and aircraft from the large tanker convoy CU-17 forced the boat to return to base, reaching Brest, France on 31 March. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 507)
7 Jun 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down:British B-24 Liberator (Sqdn 224/B). U-415 had probably already been damaged by British Wellington G for George from 179 Sqdn. at 02.02 hrs earlier in the day.
9 recorded attacks on this boat.
Men lost from U-boats
Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-415 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.
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