SM U-156

History
German Empire
Name	U-156
Ordered	29 November 1916
Builder	Atlas Werke, Bremen
Yard number	382
Launched	17 April 1917
Commissioned	22 August 1917
Fate	Sunk in the Northern Barrage minefield on 25 September 1918. 77 dead.
General characteristics
Class & type	Type U 151 submarine
Displacement	1,512 tonnes (1,488 long tons) (surfaced); 1,875 tonnes (1,845 long tons) (submerged); 2,272 tonnes (2,236 long tons) (total);
Length	65.00 m (213 ft 3 in) (o/a); 57.00 m (187 ft) (pressure hull);
Beam	8.90 m (29 ft 2 in) (o/a); 5.80 m (19 ft) (pressure hull);
Height	9.25 m (30 ft 4 in)
Draught	5.30 m (17 ft 5 in)
Installed power	800 PS (590 kW; 790 bhp) (surfaced); 800 PS (590 kW; 790 bhp) (submerged);
Propulsion	2 × shafts, 2 × 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) propellers
Speed	12.4 knots (23.0 km/h; 14.3 mph) surfaced; 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph) submerged;
Range	25,000 nmi (46,000 km; 29,000 mi) at 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) surfaced, 65 nmi (120 km; 75 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth	50 metres (160 ft)
Complement	6 officers, 50 enlisted, 20 prize crew, 1 additional officer in training on 2nd cruise
Armament	2 50 cm (20 in) bow torpedo tubes ; 18 torpedoes; 2 × 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 deck guns with 1672 rounds; 2 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 deck guns with 764 rounds;
Service record
Part of	U-Kreuzer Flotilla; 28 August 1917 – 25 September 1918;
Commanders	Kptlt. Konrad Gansser; 22 August 1917 – 15 June 1918; Kptlt. Richard Feldt; 16 June – 25 September 1918;
Operations	2 patrols
Victories	44 merchant ships sunk ; (50,471 GRT); 1 warship sunk ; (13,680 tons); 2 merchant ships damaged ; (638 GRT);

SM U-156 was a German Type U 151 U-boat commissioned in 1917 for the Imperial German Navy. From 1917 until her disappearance in September 1918 she was part of the U-Kreuzer Flotilla, and was responsible for sinking 45 ships and damaging two others. She is best known for her attack on Orleans, Massachusetts, the only time during the war that the American mainland was hit by enemy fire.