U-A was commissioned on 30 April 1939 under the initial command of Hans Cohausz, and later Hans Eckerman. She was supposed to be used as a minelayer by the Turkish, but the Germans used her like a type IX U-boat. U-A was attacked on 8 March 1941 by the destroyer HMS Wolverine, but survived. During her service, she sank seven Allied ships, including the British 13,950-ton armed merchant cruiser . Only nine ships in total were destroyed by the Foreign U-Boat corps, U-A destroying seven of those while damaging another three.