German submarine U-15 (1936)

U-9, a typical Type IIB boat
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-15
Ordered	2 February 1935
Builder	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Yard number	250
Laid down	24 September 1935
Launched	15 February 1936
Commissioned	7 March 1936
Fate	Sunk 30 January 1940 in the North Sea at Hoofden. 25 dead[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type IIB coastal submarine
Displacement	279 t (275 long tons) surfaced 328 t (323 long tons) submerged
Length	42.70 m (140 ft 1 in) o/a 27.80 m (91 ft 2 in) pressure hull
Beam	4.08 m (13 ft 5 in) (o/a) 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) (pressure hull)
Height	8.60 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power	700 PS (510 kW; 690 bhp) (diesels) 410 PS (300 kW; 400 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range	1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Complement	3 officers, 22 men
Armament	3 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 5 × torpedoes or up to 12 TMA or 18 TMB mines 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun
Service record
Part of:	1st U-boat Flotilla 1 March 1936 – 1 August 1939 1 September 1939 – 30 January 1940
Identification codes:	M 06 991
Commanders:	Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt 30 September 1935 – 1 October 1937 Kptlt. Hans Cohausz 16 May – 2 August 1936 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Heinz Buchholz 1 October 1937 – 26 October 1939 Oblt.z.S. / Kptlt. Peter Frahm 27 October 1939 – 30 January 1940
Operations:	5 patrols: 1st patrol: a. 25 – 30 August 1939 b. 31 August – 8 September 1939 2nd patrol: a. 20 September – 8 October 1939 b. 9 October 1939 c. 6 – 7 November 1939 3rd patrol: a. 14 – 18 November 1939 b. 19 November 1939 4th patrol: 9 – 20 January 1940 5th patrol: 29 – 30 January 1940
Victories:	3 merchant ships sunk (4,532 GRT)

German submarine U-15 was a Type IIB U-boat of the Kriegsmarine. It was commissioned on 7 March 1936, following construction at the Deutsche Werke shipyards at Kiel. Its first commander was Werner von Schmidt. In its career, it completed five patrols, all while serving under the 1st U-boat Flotilla. It sank three ships.