U-415

Type

VIIC

 
Ordered15 Aug 1940
Laid down12 Jul 1941 Danziger Werft AG, Danzig (werk 116)
Launched9 May 1942
Commissioned5 Aug 1942Oblt. Kurt Neide
Commanders
5 Aug 1942 - 16 Apr 1944  Kptlt. Kurt Neide
17 Apr 1944 - 14 Jul 1944  Oblt. Herbert A. Werner
Career
7 patrols
5 Aug 1942-28 Feb 1943  8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1943-14 Jul 1944  1. Flottille (front boat)
Successes1 ship sunk for a total of 4,917 GRT
1 warship sunk for a total of 1,340 tons
1 ship damaged for a total of 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.

See the 3 ships hit by U-415 - View the 7 war patrols

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
At 08.20 hours, the inbound boat was attacked with 6 depth charges by a British Halifax aircraft (RAF Sqdn 502 / C, pilot F/O R. Houston) and suffered serious damages. (Sources: Norman Franks)

1 May 1943
At 11.36 hours, the boat was attacked with depth charges by an Australian Sunderland aircraft (RAAF Sqdn 461 / M, pilot F/Lt E.C. Smith), but was not damaged. (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 aircraft (10 OTU RAF/E, pilot Sgt Manson) found a group of 3 outbound boats (U-159, U-415 and U-634) and sent a contact report instead of attacking. When the boats dived, the aircraft attacked and dropped 4 depth charges on U-415 at 15.54 hours. No damages. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

24 Jul 1943
While attacking convoy off Trinidad the boat was attacked by a "corvette" but escaped. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 366)

30 Oct 1943
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Wellington HF205 (612 Sqdn RAF/C, pilot F/O R.S. Yeadon)

At 05.42 hours the outbound boat was attacked by the Leigh Light equipped Wellingon in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal. The aircraft made a strafing attack and dropped four depth charges, but had been hit by AA fire and crashed into the sea about 50 metres behind U-415, killing all six crewmen. The boat had to abort its patrol due to damages sustained.

(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
The boat was attacked by escorts and aircraft from big tanker convoy CU 17 and severely damaged and had to abort its patrol - reaching Brest, France on March 31.. (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/179 Sqdn. at 0202 hours on this 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.



U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2

Wynn, Kenneth


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Books dealing with this subject include:

Dark Sky, Deep Water. Franks, Norman, 1997. (transl.)
Die Eisernen Särge. Werner, Herbert A., 1998. (transl.)
German U-Boat Losses During World War II. Niestle, Axel, 1998.
Hitler's U-boat War. Blair, Clay, 1996.
Hitler's U-boat War, Vol II. Blair, Clay, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.
U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2. Wynn, Kenneth, 1998.