U 37 (Navy)

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U 37 (Kriegsmarine)
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Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MW-1032-11A, Lorient, U-37.jpg
Type : IX A
Field Post Number : M 21 204
Shipyard: AG Weser , Bremen
Construction contract: July 29, 1936
Build number: 942
Keel laying: March 15, 1937
Launch: May 14, 1938
Commissioning: 4th August 1938
Commanders:
  • August 4, 1938 - September 24, 1939
    Lieutenant Heinrich Schuch
  • September 25, 1939 - May 6, 1940
    Corvette Captain Werner Hartmann
  • May 6, 1940 - October 26, 1940
    Lieutenant Victor Oehrn
  • October 26, 1940 - May 2, 1941
    Lieutenant Captain Nikolai Asmus Clausen
  • May 3, 1941 - November 15, 1941
    Lieutenant Ulrich Folkers
  • November 16, 1941 - June 30, 1942
    First Lieutenant Gustav-Adolf Janssen
  • July 1, 1942 - January 3, 1943
    First Lieutenant Albert Lauzemis
  • January 4, 1943 - November 19, 1943
    First Lieutenant Hinrich Kelling
  • November 20, 1943 - January 8, 1944
    First Lieutenant Peter Gerlach
  • January 9, 1944 - December 21, 1944
    First Lieutenant Wolfgang Seiler
  • December 22, 1944 - May 8, 1945
    Lieutenant Eberhard von Wenden
Calls: 11 patrols
Sinkings:
  • 53 ships (200,124 GRT )
  • 2 warships (2,404 t)
Whereabouts: self-sunk on May 8, 1945

U 37 was a submarine of type IX A , which in the Second World War by the Navy was used.

history

The order for the boat was on 29 July 1936 the shipyard Deschimag AG Weser , Bremen awarded. The keel was laid on March 15, 1937, the launch on May 14, 1938, the commissioning under Lieutenant Heinrich Schuch on August 4, 1938.

From its commissioning until December 31, 1939, the boat belonged to the U-Flotilla "Hundius" in Kiel as an operational or front boat . In April and May 1939 it carried out diving and escorting exercises between Portugal and the Azores together with U 29 , U 30 , U 31 and U 34 .

When the U-Flotilla was reorganized, U 37 came from January 1, 1940 to April 30, 1941 as a front boat for the 2nd U-Flotilla in Wilhelmshaven . From May 1, 1941, it served as a school boat in the 26th U-Flotilla in Pillau , then from April 1, 1942 as a school boat in the 22nd U-Flotilla in Gotenhafen and finally from July 1, 1944 to May 3, 1945 as a Test boat with the 4th U-Flotilla in Stettin .

U 37 undertook eleven enemy voyages on which it sank 55 ships (including two warships) with a total tonnage of 202,528 GRT.

Use statistics

First patrol

The boat left Wilhelmshaven on August 19, 1939 at midnight and returned there on September 15, 1939 at 1:17 p.m. No ships were sunk or damaged on this venture in the North Atlantic , west of Ireland and in the area of Gibraltar .

Second patrol

The boat left Wilhelmshaven on October 5, 1939 at 8:00 a.m. and returned there on November 8, 1939 at 9:58 a.m. On this venture in the North Atlantic eight ships with 35,306 GRT were sunk.

  • October 15: Sinking of the French steamer Vermont (5,186 GRT) ( location ) by torpedo and artillery. The freighter was in ballast and was on its way to New Orleans . There were two dead.
  • October 17th: Sinking of the British steamer Yorkshire (10,184 GRT) ( location ) by two torpedoes. The ship had cargo and 151 passengers on board and was en route from Rangoon to Liverpool . It belonged to convoy HG-3. 25 crew members and 33 passengers were killed, 160 crew men and 118 passengers were rescued.
  • October 24: Sinking of the British steamer Menin Ridge (2,474 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer had loaded 4,200 t of  iron ore and was on its way from Djidjelli ( Algeria ) to Port Talbot . There were 20 dead and five survivors.
  • October 24th: Sinking of the British steamer Ledbury (3,528 GRT) ( location ) by artillery. The steamer had 5,800 tons of  bauxite on board and was on its way from Toulon to Burntisland . There was no human loss.
  • October 24th: Sinking of the British steamer Tafna (4,413 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer had loaded 6,900 t of iron ore and was on its way from Benisaf (Algeria) to London . There were two dead and 31 survivors.
  • October 30: Sinking of the Greek steamer Thrasyvoulos (3,693 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The ship had 2,158 tons of  anthracite and 3,450 tons of  nuts on board and was on its way from Swansea to Halifax . There were 22 dead.

Third patrol

The boat left Wilhelmshaven on January 28, 1940 at 8.18 a.m. and returned there on February 27, 1940 at 5.10 p.m. Eight ships with 24,539 GRT were sunk on this operation in the North Atlantic.

  • February 4th: Sinking of the Norwegian steamer Hop (1,365 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer was in ballast and was on its way from Bergen to the Tyne . The entire crew of 18 men was killed.
  • February 4th: Sinking of the British steamer Leo Dawson (4,330 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The freighter had iron ore loaded and was en route from Narvik to Immingham . It was a total loss with 35 dead.
  • February 10: Sinking of the Norwegian steamer Silja (1,259 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The freighter had an unknown cargo and was on its way from Trapani via Gibraltar to Bergen. It was a total loss with 17 dead.
  • February 11th: Sinking of the British fish liner Togimo (290 GRT) ( location ) by artillery. The steamer had loaded 15 tons of  fish fat . There was one dead.
  • February 15: Sinking of the Danish steamer Aase (1,206 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer had loaded fruit and was on its way from Valencia to Bristol . There were 15 dead and one survivor.
  • February 17th: Sinking of the British steamer Phyrrus (7,418 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer had loaded 4,000 tons of cargo, including whiskey , and was on its way from Glasgow via Liverpool to Manila . The ship belonged to convoy OG-18. There were eight dead and 79 survivors.
  • February 18: The Greek steamer Ellin (4,917 GRT) is sunk by a torpedo. The ship had loaded coal and was on its way from Cardiff to Piraeus . There was no human loss.
  • FEBRUARY 18: sinking of the French steamer PLM 15 (3754 BRT) ( position ) by a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo and was on his way from Oran to an unknown port. The ship belonged to convoy RS 10.

Fourth patrol

The boat left Wilhelmshaven on March 30, 1940 at 8:30 a.m. and returned there on April 18, 1940 at 10:20 a.m. On this venture in the North Sea, the North Atlantic, the North Sea and east of the Shetland Islands three ships with 18,715 GRT were sunk.

  • April 10: Sinking of the Swedish tanker Sveaborg (9,076 GRT) ( location ) by two torpedoes. He had loaded 4,500 tons of  diesel , 2,000 tons of  heating oil and 6,500 tons of  light oil and was on the way from Curaçao to Gothenburg. There were five dead and 29 survivors.
  • April 10th: Sinking of the Norwegian steamer Tosca (5,128 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 2,000 tons of  zinc , 2,000 tons of  basketry and 1,000 tons of fruit and was on his way from Talcahuano to Eitreim . There were two dead and 32 survivors.
  • April 12th: Sinking of the British steamer Stancliffe (4,511 GRT) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,200 tons of iron ore and was on the way from Narvik to Middlesbrough . There were 21 dead and 16 survivors.

Fifth patrol

The boat left Wilhelmshaven on May 15, 1940 at 3 p.m. and returned there on June 9, 1940 at 10.15 a.m. On this venture in the North Atlantic, northwest of Cape Finisterre , nine ships with 34,043 GRT were sunk and two ships with 16,900 GRT were damaged.

  • May 19: sinking of the Swedish motor ship Erik Frisell (5,066 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo and artillery. It was loaded with grain and on its way from Buenos Aires to Liverpool. There were no human casualties, 34 survivors.
  • May 22nd: Damage to the British steamer Dunster Grange (9,494 GRT) by artillery fire.
  • May 24th: sinking of the Greek steamer Kyma (3,944 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 6,000 tons of  corn and 90 tons of  confectionery and was on the way from Rosario to Avonmouth . There were seven dead and 23 survivors.
  • May 27th: Sinking of the British steamer Sheaf Mead (5,008 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He was ballasted and on his way from Swansea to Philadelphia . There were 32 dead and five survivors.
Argentinian steamer Uruguay
  • May 27: sinking of the Argentinean steamer Uruguay (3,425 GRT) ( location ) by blasting. He had loaded 6,000 t of maize and was on the way from Rosario (Argentina) to Limerick . There were 15 dead and 13 survivors.
  • MAY 28: sinking of the French ship engine Brazza (10,387 GRT) ( position ) by two torpedoes. It had loaded wines and spirits and was on its way from Bordeaux to West Africa . 79 crew members and 300 passengers died. 53 crew members and 144 passengers survived. She was the largest ship sunk by U 37 .
  • May 28: Sinking of the French fishing liner Julien (177 GRT) ( location ) by artillery. He was fishing . There were no human losses and ten survivors.
  • May 29: The French steamer Marie José (2,477 GRT) is sunk by artillery and a G7a torpedo. He had loaded 5,000 tons of  general cargo and was on the way from Casablanca to Bordeaux .
  • May 29: Artillery damaged the British tanker Telena (7,406 GRT). He had loaded 9,368 tons of  crude oil and was on the way from Tripoli to Pauillac . There were 18 dead and 18 survivors. The tanker was brought to Vigo and the oil recovered. The ship was later sold to Spain and sailed under the Spanish flag as Gerona from October 7, 1940 .
  • June 1st: sinking of the Greek steamer Ioanna (950 GRT) by a torpedo. He had an unknown cargo and was on his way from Alexandria to the Tyne. There was no human loss.
  • 3rd June: sinking of the Finnish steamer Snabb (2,317 GRT) by artillery. He had an unknown cargo and was on his way from Greenock to Dakar . There was one dead.

Sixth patrol

The boat was launched on August 1, 1940 at 12:15 pm from Wilhelmshaven, and on August 12, 1940 at 9:48 in Lorient one. A ship with 9,130 ​​GRT was sunk on this approximately 2,100 nm long undertaking in the North Atlantic and the North Canal .

  • August 8: Sinking of the British motor ship Upwey Grange (9,130 ​​GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had 5,380 tons of  frozen meat and 51 boxes of canned meat as well as eleven passengers on board and was on his way from Buenos Aires to London. There were 36 dead and 50 survivors.

Seventh patrol

The boat left Lorient on August 17, 1940 at 8:00 p.m. and returned there on August 30, 1940 at 2:45 p.m. On this approximately 2,800 nm long enterprise in the North Atlantic, off the Hebrides , Ireland and the Rockall Bank, six ships with 24,408 GRT and a sloop with 1,025 t were sunk.

  • August 23 sinking of the Norwegian steamer Keret (1718 BRT) ( position ) by a torpedo. The steamer was in ballast and was en route from the Tyne to Sydney . There were 13 dead and three survivors.
  • 23 August: Sinking of the British steamer Severn Leigh (5,242 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer was in ballast and was en route from Kingston upon Hull to Saint John . The ship belonged to convoy OA-200. There were 33 dead and ten survivors.
  • August 24th: Sinking of the British steamer Brookwood (5,100 GRT) ( location ) by torpedo and artillery. The steamer was in ballast and was en route from London via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Methil . The ship belonged to convoy OA-200. There was one dead and 36 survivors.
  • August 24th: Sinking of the British sloop HMS Penzance (1,025 t) ( location ) by a torpedo. The ship belonged to convoy SC-1.
  • August 25 sinking of the British steamer Blairmore (4141 BRT) ( position ) by two torpedoes. The steamer had loaded 1,500  fathoms of pit wood and was on its way from Newcastle (New Brunswick) via Sydney (Nova Scotia) to the Tyne. The ship belonged to convoy SC-1.
  • August 25: Sinking of the British steamer Yewcrest (3,774 GRT) ( location ) by artillery. The steamer was in ballast and was on its way from Cardiff and Liverpool to Wabana (Conception Bay). The ship belonged to convoy OB-201. There was one dead and 38 survivors.
  • August 27: Sinking of the Greek steamer Theodoros T. (3,409 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. The steamer had loaded corn and was on the way Rosario (Argentina) via Gibraltar to Cardiff. There was no human loss.

Eighth patrol

The boat left Lorient on September 24, 1940 at 1.30 p.m. and returned there on October 22, 1940 at 10 a.m. Six ships of 30,100 GRT were sunk on this approximately 5,350 nm long operation in the North Atlantic and at Rockall Bank.

  • September 27th: Sinking of the Egyptian steamer Georges Mabro (2,555 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded an unknown cargo and was en route from Huelva via Leixos to Glasgow.
  • September 28: Sinking of the British steamer Corrientes (6,863 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo and artillery. He had loaded 1,800 tons of cargo and was on the way from Glasgow via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Montreal . The ship belonged to convoy OB-217.
  • September 30th: Sinking of the British steamer Samala (5,390 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had 1,500 tons of  bananas and two passengers on board and was on the way from Kingston (Jamaica) to Liverpool. It was a total loss with 68 dead.
  • September 30th: Sinking of the British steamer Heminge (2,499 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,300 tons of coal and was on the way from the Tyne to Tenerife . The ship belonged to convoy OB-220. There was one dead and 25 survivors.
  • October 6: Sinking of the British tanker British General (6,989 GRT) ( location ) by four torpedoes. He drove in ballast and was on the way from the Tyne via Methil to Abadan . The ship belonged to convoy OA-222. It was a total loss with 47 dead.
  • October 13: Sinking of the British steamer Stangrant (5,804 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 7,715 tons of steel and scrap and was on the way from Hampton Roads via Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Belfast . The ship belonged to convoy HX-77 . There were eight dead and 30 survivors.

Ninth patrol

The boat left Lorient on November 28, 1940 at 5.15 p.m. and returned there on January 7, 1941 at 1.20 p.m. Six ships with 9,822 GRT and a submarine with 1,379 t were sunk on this approximately 7,100 nm long undertaking in the mid-Atlantic , west of Spanish Morocco .

  • December 1st: Sinking of the British steamer Palmella (1,578 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded cargo and 1,000 bags of prisoner mail and was on his way from London to Porto . There was one dead and 28 survivors.
  • December 2nd: sinking of the Swedish steamer Gwalia (1,258 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded coal and mail and was on his way from Cardiff to Lisbon . The ship belonged to convoy OG-46. It was a total loss with 16 dead.
  • December 2nd: Sinking of the British steamer Jeanne M (2,465 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 3,200 tons of coal and was on the way from Cardiff to Lisbon. The ship belonged to convoy OG-46. There were seven dead and 19 survivors.
  • December 4th: Sinking of the Swedish steamer Daphne (1,513 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from Glasgow to Lisbon. There were 18 dead and one survivor. The ship belonged to convoy OG-46.
  • December 16: sinking of the Spanish sailing ship San Carlos (223 GRT) by artillery. The sailor was in ballast, had 13 passengers on board and was on the way from Cape Juby to the Canary Islands . There was one dead and 28 survivors.
  • December 19: Sinking of the French submarine Sfax (1,379 t). U 37 mistakenly attacked and sank two Vichy- French ships. There is no entry in the war diary for this.
  • December 19: Sinking of the French fleet tanker Rhône (2,785 GRT). The tanker was on its way from Casablanca to Dakar. There were ten dead. U 37 mistakenly attacked two Vichy French ships and sank them. There is no entry in the war diary for this. In response to the sinking of the two French ships, the Vichy regime, in consultation with Italy, established defensive measures against submarines in a 25 nm wide strip along the coasts of France (Atlantic) and Spain.

Tenth patrol

The boat left Lorient on January 30, 1941 at 6:00 p.m., but had to return at 9:00 p.m. due to clutch damage and finally left Lorient on February 3, 1941 at 11:40 a.m. On this approximately 3,000 nm long operation in the North Atlantic and southwest of Cape Vincent three ships with 4,781 GRT were sunk.

On February 9, U 37 took part in a coordinated attack by air forces , submarines and surface warships on an Allied convoy: Lieutenant Asmus Clausen discovered the 19-ship convoy HG 53, reported its discovery and attacked the convoy. He reported that he had sunk three ships with a total of 13,500 GRT. In fact, there were only two relatively small ships. The BdU Vice Admiral Karl Dönitz asked Clausen's report for air support from Kampfgeschwader 40 in Bordeaux-Mérignacan . KptLt. Clausen held back efforts to attack and led the Condor to the convoy with direction indicators. When the aircraft arrived, the convoy had tried in vain to form its defense. A Focke-Wulf Fw 200 was damaged and was able to make an emergency landing in Spain without losses . The other Condor machines reported hits on nine targets and sank a total of five ships from HG 53. The Admiral Hipper was the last to arrive after Dönitz had convinced the high command of the Navy to send it and was able to sink an enemy ship. After the attack, U 37 broke off the operation and returned to the base in Lorient, as it had fired all torpedoes .

  • February 9th: Sinking of the British steamer Courland (1,325 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 1,395 t of general cargo and was on the way from Lisbon to London. There were 26 dead and four survivors. The ship belonged to convoy HG-53.
  • February 9: Sinking of the British steamer Estrellano (1,983 GRT) ( location ) by a torpedo. He had loaded 900 t of general cargo and 1,100 t of tinned meat and was on the way from Leixoes to Liverpool. The ship belonged to convoy HG-53.

Eleventh patrol

The boat left Lorient on February 27, 1941 at 6.15 p.m. and entered Kiel on March 22, 1941 at 8.30 p.m. On this approximately 4,100 nm long enterprise in the North Atlantic and northwest of the North Canal, two ships with 3,141 GRT were sunk.

During the operation against convoy HX-112 , U 37 attempted an attack in an exposed position. The HMS Walker from escort group 5 rammed U 37 and shot the submerged boat with anti- submarine shells . The U 37 was so badly damaged that it had to return to base.

  • March 7th: Sinking of the Greek steamer Mentor (3,050 GRT) ( location ) by a G7e torpedo. He was in ballast and was on his way from the River Clyde to Takoradi . There were seven dead and 22 survivors.
  • March 12: Artillery sinks the Icelandic fishing liner Petursey (91 GRT). He had fresh fish on board and was on his way to Fleetwood . It was a total loss with ten dead.

Whereabouts

U 37 was self -scuttled by its crew in the Flensburg Fjord in the area of ​​the Sonderburger Bay or the Höruper Haff on May 8, 1945 according to the long-standing rainbow order , however, which was canceled by Grand Admiral Dönitz on the evening of May 4, 1945 . It was lifted and scrapped after the end of the war. According to other sources, the boat was sunk on May 5, 1945. The position was about 54 ° 53 '  N , 9 ° 56'  O .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Percy Ernst Schramm (ed.): War diary of the High Command of the Wehrmacht. (Wehrmacht command staff). 1940-1945. 1 = Volume 1, half volume 1: August 1, 1940 - December 31, 1941. Bernard & Gaefe, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-88199-073-9 , p. 249.
  2. ↑ HG stands for "Home Gibraltar"
  3. ↑ Clay Blair : The Submarine War. Volume 1: The Hunters. 1939-1942. Heyne, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-453-12345-X , pp. 286-287.

Literature and Sources

  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 1: The German submarine commanders. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1996, ISBN 3-8132-0490-1 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 3: German submarine successes from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2001, ISBN 3-8132-0513-4 .
  • Rainer Busch, Hans-Joachim Röll: The submarine war 1939-1945. Volume 4: German submarine losses from September 1939 to May 1945. ES Mittler und Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1999, ISBN 3-8132-0514-2 .