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History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-615
Ordered	15 August 1940
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
Yard number	591
Laid down	20 May 1941
Launched	8 February 1942
Commissioned	26 March 1942
Fate	Sunk in the Caribbean Sea on 7 August 1943
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIC submarine
Displacement	769 t (757 long tons); 871 t (857 long tons) submerged; 1,070 t (1,053 long tons) total;
Length	67.10 m (220 ft 2 in) total; 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in) pressure hull;
Beam	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) total; 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull;
Draught	4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 3,200 PS (2,354 kW; 3,156 shp) surfaced; 750 PS (552 kW; 740 shp) submerged;
Speed	17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) surfaced; 7.66 knots (14.19 km/h; 8.81 mph) submerged;
Range	13,700 nmi (25,400 km; 15,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced; 125 nmi (232 km; 144 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged;
Test depth	220 m (721 ft 9 in)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted44-52 men
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern); 14 × torpedoes or 26 TMA mines; 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds); 1 x 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 AA gun;
Service record
Part of:	8th U-boat Flotilla; 26 March – 31 August 1942; 3rd U-boat Flotilla; 1 September 1942 – 7 August 1943;
Identification codes:	M 45 089
Commanders:	Kptlt. Ralph Kapitzky ; 26 March 1942 – 7 August 1943;
Operations:	4 patrols:; 1st patrol:; 5 September – 30 October 1942; 2nd patrol:; 25 November 1942 – 9 January 1943 ; 3rd patrol:; 18 February – 20 April 1943 ; 4th patrol:; 12 June – 7 August 1943;
Victories:	4 merchant ships sunk ; (27,231 GRT)

German submarine U-615 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) for service during World War II.^[2]

Commissioned on 26 March 1942, and commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ralph Kapitzky, she was depth charged and sunk in the Caribbean Sea, north of Porlamar on 7 August 1943,^[3] in position 12°38′N 64°15′W / 12.633°N 64.250°W / 12.633; -64.250, by US 6 Mariner and 1 Ventura aircraft. It was the largest aircraft hunt ever mounted for a single U-boat. Of her crew 4 (including her captain) were killed, and 43 survived.

Design

German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-615 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged.^[4] She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).^[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).^[4] When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-615 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.^[4]

Wolfpacks

U-615 took part in 10 wolfpacks, namely:

Pfeil (12 – 22 September 1942)
Blitz (22 – 26 September 1942)
Tiger (26 – 30 September 1942)
Wotan (5 – 19 October 1942)
Draufgänger (1 – 11 December 1942)
Ungestüm (11 – 30 December 1942)
Burggraf (25 February – 5 March 1943)
Raubgraf (7 – 20 March 1943)
Seewolf (24 – 30 March 1943)
Adler (7 – 13 April 1943)

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate^[5]
11 October 1942	El Lago	Panama	4,221	Sunk
23 October 1942	Empire Star	United Kingdom	12,656	Sunk
11 April 1943	Edward B. Dudley	United States	7,177	Sunk
28 July 1943	Rosalia	Netherlands	3,177	Sunk

References

^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-615". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
^ Kelshell, Gaylord T. M. (2003), "Ralph Kapitsky – Battle in the Caribbean and the Death of U-615", in Savas, Theodore P. (ed.), Contemporary Conflict Resolution, Naval Institute Press, pp. 43–73, ISBN 1591148170.
^ Heden, Karl E. (2006), Sunken Ships World War II: US Naval Chronology, Including Submarine Losses of the United States, England, Germany, Japan, Italy, Branden Books, p. 76, ISBN 0828321183.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-615". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Edwards, Bernard (1996). Dönitz and the Wolf Packs - The U-boats at War. Cassell Military Classics. p. 139. ISBN 0-304-35203-9.
Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.