German submarine U-159 (1941)

U-159 (left) returning to Lorient, U-107 (right), 12 July 1942
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-159
Ordered	23 December 1939
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number	1009
Laid down	11 November 1940
Launched	1 July 1941
Commissioned	4 October 1941
Fate	Sunk on 28 July 1943[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IXC submarine
Displacement	1,120 t (1,100 long tons) surfaced 1,232 t (1,213 long tons) submerged
Length	76.76 m (251 ft 10 in) o/a 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam	6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught	4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) surfaced 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) submerged
Range	13,450 nmi (24,910 km; 15,480 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	230 m (750 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 44 enlisted
Armament	6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds) 1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun 1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Service record
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 4 October 1941 – 30 April 1942 10th U-boat Flotilla 1 May 1942 – 28 July 1943
Identification codes:	M 19 192
Commanders:	Kptlt. Helmut Witte 4 October 1941 – 6 June 1943 Oblt.z.S. d.R. Heinz Beckmann 7 June – 28 July 1943
Operations:	5 patrols: 1st patrol: 22 April – 3 May 1942 2nd patrol: 14 May – 13 July 1942 3rd patrol: 24 August 1942 – 5 January 1943 4th patrol: 4 March – 25 April 1943 5th patrol: 12 June – 28 July 1943
Victories:	23 merchant ships sunk (119,554 GRT) 1 merchant ship damaged (265 GRT)

German submarine U-159 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service during World War II. The keel for this boat was laid down on 11 November 1940 at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen, Germany as yard number 1009. She was launched on 1 July 1941 and commissioned on 4 October under the command of Kapitänleutnant Helmut Witte (Knight's Cross).

The U-boat's service began with training as part of the 4th U-boat Flotilla. She then moved to the 10th flotilla on 1 May 1942 for operations. She sank 23 ships, totalling 119,554 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged one more of 265 GRT.

She was sunk by an American aircraft on 28 July 1943.