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. | |||||||||||
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 damage. (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 damage. (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 damage 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.
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