German submarine U-156 was a Type IXC U-boat constructed for the Kriegsmarine during World War II. The keel was laid on October 11, 1940, at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser shipyard in Bremen, with the vessel commissioned on September 4, 1941, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartenstein. U-156 measured approximately 76.76 meters in length, with a beam of 6.76 meters and a height of 9.60 meters. It displaced about 1,120 tonnes on the surface and 1,232 tonnes submerged. The submarine was powered by two MAN diesel engines producing 4,400 horsepower for surfaced travel and Siemens-Schuckert electric motors generating 1,000 horsepower for submerged operations. She could operate at depths up to 230 meters, with a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots and a submerged speed of 7.3 knots. U-156 was armed with six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four at the bow and two at the stern), carrying a total of 22 torpedoes. Its deck armament included a 10.5 cm naval gun, a 3.7 cm anti-aircraft gun, and a 2 cm AA gun. The crew complement was 48 men. Initially assigned to the 4th U-boat Flotilla for training, U-156 transitioned to active service with the 2nd U-boat Flotilla based in Lorient, France. During her operational service, she completed five patrols, sinking 20 merchant ships totaling approximately 97,489 GRT, damaging three additional ships and a warship. Notably, during her second patrol, she participated in Operation Neuland, attacking the oil refinery at Aruba, where an accidental explosion aboard the submarine resulted in the deaths of one crew member and the wounding of another. U-156 was involved in the infamous Laconia incident in September 1942, where she sank the troopship Laconia and attempted to rescue survivors, flying the Red Cross flag. This act prompted the German Navy to issue the Laconia Order, forbidding rescues by U-boats. Her service ended on March 8, 1943, when she was attacked and sunk east of Barbados by a US PBY Catalina aircraft with the loss of all hands. The sinking was caused by depth charges that broke her in two, following an attack that observed survivors swimming in the water. U-156 remains a notable vessel for its operational record, participation in significant wartime incidents, and its ultimate loss during the Battle of the Atlantic.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.