German submarine U-215
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | U-215 |
| Ordered: | 16 February 1940 |
| Builder: | Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | 647 |
| Laid down: | 15 November 1940 |
| Launched: | 9 October 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 22 November 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 3 July 1942, by British warship HMS Le Tiger |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Type VIID submarine |
| Displacement: |
965 long tons (980 t) surfaced 1,080 long tons (1,097 t) submerged |
| Length: |
76.9 m (252 ft 4 in) o/a 59.8 m (196 ft 2 in) pressure hull |
| Beam: |
6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) o/a 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull |
| Draft: | 5 m (16 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × supercharged Germaniawerft, 6-cylinder, 4-stroke F46 diesel engines totalling 2,800–3,200 bhp (2,100–2,400 kW). Max rpm: 470-490 2 × AEG GU 460/8-276 electric motors, totalling 750 shp (560 kW). Max rpm: 285 |
| Speed: |
16.7 knots (30.9 km/h; 19.2 mph) surfaced 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph) submerged |
| Range: |
20,720 km (11,190 nmi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 130 km (70 nmi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Test depth: |
200 m (660 ft) Crush depth: 220–240 m (720–790 ft) |
| Complement: | 46–52 officers and ratings |
| Armament: |
• 5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) • 14 × torpedoes or 26 × TMA or 39 × TMB tube-launched mines • 5 × vertical launchers with 15 SMA mines • 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) • 2 × C30 20 mm AA (4,380 rounds) |
| Service record[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Part of: |
5th U-boat Flotilla (22 November 1941–30 June 1942) 9th U-boat Flotilla (1–3 July 1942) |
| Commanders: |
KrvKpt. Fritz Hoeckner (22 November 1941–3 July 1942) |
| Operations: |
One patrol: 9 June 1942–3 July 1942 |
| Victories: | One commercial ship sunk (7,191 GRT) |
German submarine U-215 was a Type VIID mine-laying U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She was one of six U-boats of her kind, equipped with special vertical tubes that launched the mines.[3] Its keel was laid down 15 November 1940 by Germaniawerft in Kiel as 'werk' 647. It was launched on 9 October 1941 and commissioned on 22 November with Kapitänleutnant Fritz Hoeckner in command.
Service history
U-215 was sunk in the summer of 1942 by British warship HMS Le Tiger while on a mission to lay mines in Boston Harbor after attacking and sinking the U.S. liberty ship Alexander Macomb, part of an allied convoy. The wreck was not discovered until 2004.[4]
Wreck Site
She now lays 270 feet (82 m) beneath the surface of the Atlantic, 150 nautical miles (280 km) off the coast of New England and south of Nova Scotia, just across international waters into Canadian territory. 4 of her 5 vertical tubes are still sealed, her hatches are still sealed, and she is (presumably) still airtight with the remains of 49 German sailors entombed within.[5]
Summary of Raiding Career
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) | Fate[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 July 1942 | Alexander Macomb |  United States |
7,191 | Sunk |
See also
- List of German U-boats
References
- ↑ "The Type VIID boat U-215 - German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
- ↑ "War Patrols by German U-boat U-215 - Boats - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
- ↑ "German U-Boat Sea Mines - TMA, TMB, SMC". www.uboataces.com. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
- ↑ "First-ever U-boat found off Canadian coast". www.cba.ca. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
- ↑ 'Sea Hunters' find deadly U-215
- ↑ http://uboat.net/boats/successes/u215/html
External links
- U-215 at ubootwaffe.net
- CBC : First-ever U-boat found off Canadian coast
- USA Today Report : 'Sea Hunters' find deadly U-215
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Coordinates: 41°28′47.9″N 66°22′47.9″W / 41.479972°N 66.379972°W