U-515

Type

IXC

Ordered

14 Feb, 1940

Laid down

8 May, 1941

Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 311)

Launched

2 Dec, 1941

Commissioned

21 Feb, 1942

Oblt. Werner Henke (Oak Leaves)

Commanders

21 Feb, 1942 - 9 Apr, 1944

Kptlt. Werner Henke (Knights Cross)

Career

7 patrols

21 Feb, 1942 - 31 Aug, 1942 4. Flottille (training)
1 Sep, 1942 - 9 Apr, 1944 10. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

21 ships sunk for a total of 131.769 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk for a total of 19.277 GRT
1 ship damaged for a total of 6.034 GRT
1 warship damaged for a total of 1.920 tons
1 ship a total loss for a total of 4.668 GRT
1 warship a total loss for a total of 1.350 tons

Fate

Sunk at 1510hrs on 9 April, 1944 in the mid-Atlantic north of Madeira, Portugal, in position 34.35N, 19.18W, by rockets from 4 Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-58) of the US escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and depth charges from the US destroyer escorts USS Pope, USS Pillsbury, USS Chatelain and USS Flaherty. 16 dead and 44 survivors.

See the 27 ships hit by U-515 - View the 7 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-515 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Westwall (25 Nov, 1942 - 25 Dec, 1942)
   Unverzagt (12 Mar, 1943 - 22 Mar, 1943)
   Seerauber (22 Mar, 1943 - 30 Mar, 1943)

Attacks on this boat

23 Sep, 1942
The boat was attacked by the freighter Antonius with gunfire. The boat crash dived.

8 Nov, 1942
While attacking the destroyer tender Hecla (sunk) and the destroyer Marne (damaged) the boat was depth charged by the British destroyer Venomous without damages. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 111)

6 Sep, 1943
After having tracked merged convoys OS 54 and KMS 25 the whole day Henke closed in to attack but was spotted and had to dive. The british frigate Tavy accurately attacked the boat and drove her to 820 feet severaly damaging her. Henke managed to escape and aborted his patrol and reached France on Sept 12. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 409)

18 Nov, 1943
Several Allied escorts attacked the boat when she was attacking the combined convoy MKS 30 and SL139. After escaping, Henke took the boat to the Canary Islands where he camouflages the boat and carried out extensive repairs before continuing the patrol. (Sources: Blair, vol 2, page 459)

4 recorded attacks on this boat.

General notes on this boat

Read about the USS Guadalcanal and her career on our 6-page set. There is a good account of the hunt for U-515.

Men lost from the boat

20 Sep, 1942
A gunner from U-515 was killed in a misfire accident on on the 2cm machine gun. [Matrosengefreiter Matthias Biazza]

15 Jun, 1944
The former commander of the boat, Kptlt. Werner Henke, one of the top aces, sunk on 9 April, committed suicide by pretending to be escaping the POW camp on 15 June after falling victim for US mind games while in captivity.

Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -