The crystal structure and elementary properties of La15NbxGe9 are reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction,from a crystallite with only 0.12 Nb/formula unit, reveals that this compound, although transition metal deficient, crystallizes in a hexagonal “15-1-9”-like structure type, space group P63mc (no. 186) with lattice parameters a = b = 15.5017(2) Å, c = 6.9173(2) Å. The physical properties were examined by specific heat and resistivity...