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</script> </div> <div align="center"> <h3><a href="/boats/">List of all U-boats</a></h3><h1>U-37</h1> </div> <div align="center"> <table class="table_subtle width650"><tr> <td class="width100"><h3>Type</h3></td><td class="width95" align="center" class="seperator"><h3><a href="/types/ix.htm" class="header">IX</a></h3></td><td> </td></tr> <tr><td>Ordered</td><td class="seperator">29 Jul 1936</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Laid down</td><td class="seperator">15 Mar 1937</td> <td class="seperator"><a href="/technical/shipyards/ag-weser.htm">AG Weser, Bremen</a> (werk 942)</td></tr> <tr><td>Launched</td><td class="seperator">14 May 1938</td><td><br/></td></tr> <tr><td>Commissioned</td><td class="seperator">4 Aug 1938</td><td class="seperator">Kptlt. Heinrich Schuch</td></tr> <tr><td>Commanders</td> <td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="width85 right">4 Aug 1938</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">24 Sep 1939</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1139.html"> Heinrich Schuch</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">25 Sep 1939</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">6 May 1940</td><td>  </td><td>KrvKpt. <a href="/men/hartmann.htm"> Werner Hartmann</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">6 May 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">26 Oct 1940</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/oehrn.htm"> Victor Oehrn</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">26 Oct 1940</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">2 May 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/clausen.htm"> Asmus Nicolai Clausen</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">3 May 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">15 Nov 1941</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/folkers.htm"> Ulrich Folkers</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/8.html">Knights Cross</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">16 Nov 1941</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">30 Jun 1942</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/546.html"> Gustav-Adolf Janssen</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">1 Jul 1942</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">3 Jan 1943</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/709.html"> Albert Lauzemis</a> (<a href="/men/decorations/5.html">German Cross in Gold</a>) </td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">4 Jan 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">19 Nov 1943</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/595.html"> Hinrich Kelling</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">20 Nov 1943</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">8 Jan 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/353.html"> Peter Gerlach</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">9 Jan 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">21 Dec 1944</td><td>  </td><td>Oblt. <a href="/men/commanders/1187.html"> Wolfgang Seiler</a></td></tr><tr><td class="width85 right">22 Dec 1944</td><td> - </td><td class="width90 right">5 May 1945</td><td>  </td><td>Kptlt. <a href="/men/commanders/1331.html"> Eberhard von Wenden</a></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Career<br><a href="/boats/patrols/u37.html">11 patrols</a></td><td colspan="2" class="seperator"><table class="table-clean"><tr><td class="right">1 Apr 1938</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Aug 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/6flo.htm">6. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Sep 1939</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Dec 1939</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/6flo.htm">6. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jan 1940</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Apr 1941</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/2flo.htm">2. Flottille</a> (active service)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 May 1941</td><td>-</td><td class="right">31 Mar 1942</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/26flo.htm">26. Flottille</a> (school boat)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Apr 1942</td><td>-</td><td class="right">30 Jun 1944</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/22flo.htm">22. Flottille</a> (school boat)<br></td></tr><tr><td class="right">1 Jul 1944</td><td>-</td><td class="right">5 May 1945</td><td>  <a href="/flotillas/4flo.htm">4. Flottille</a> (trial boat)(eb)<br></td></tr></table></td></tr> <tr><td>Successes</td><td colspan="2" class="seperator">53 ships sunk, total tonnage 200,063 GRT<br/>2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,404 tons<br/>1 ship damaged, total tonnage 9,494 GRT</td></tr> <tr><td class="width100">Fate</td> <td colspan="2" class="width400 seperator"> <p><a href="/fates/scuttled.htm">Scuttled</a> on 5 May 1945 in H枚rup Haff, in position 54.55N, 09.47E. Wreck broken up in 1946. </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>Final location</td><td colspan="3"> <style media="screen" type="text/css"> #mapFate {width:510px; height: 270px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;} </style> <div id="mapFate" align="center"></div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> var mymap = L.map('mapFate').setView([55.55, 9.47], 4) L.tileLayer('/map-tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png', { attribution: 'map 漏 OpenStreetMap contributors | ship info by uboat.net', maxZoom: 10, }).addTo(mymap); var iconFate = L.icon({ iconUrl: '/media/maps/googlemarkers/orange_Marker.png', iconSize: [20, 34], iconAnchor: [10, 34], }); var marker = L.marker([54.92, 9.78], {icon: iconFate}).addTo(mymap).bindPopup('<strong>U-37</strong>. <a href=\"/fates/scuttled.htm\">Scuttled</a> on 5 May 1945 in H枚rup Haff, in position 54.55N, 09.47E. Wreck broken up in 1946.'); </script> </td> </tr> </table>  <p class="np"><a href="/boats/successes/u37.html">See the 56 ships hit by U-37</a> - <a href="/boats/patrols/u37.html">View the 11 war patrols</a><br></p> </div> </p> <h3>Attacks on this boat and other events</h3> <div class="content_box"> <p><strong>24 Oct 1939</strong><br/><p>Between 11.47 and 12.12 hrs, the boat was depth charged by several aircraft after attacking <a href="/allies/merchants/80.html"><strong>Tafna</strong></a> about 100 miles (161km) WSW of Gibraltar. <a href="/boats/u37.htm">U-37</a> dived to 105m (345ft) and was not damaged by the depth charges, which exploded far above. Hartmann wisely decided to run silent at a depth of 80m (263ft) and ordered most of the crew to lie down and rest, because shortly afterwards <a href="/allies/warships/ship/4278.html"><strong>HMS Keppel</strong></a>, <a href="/allies/warships/ship/4263.html"><strong>HMS Vidette</strong></a> and <a href="/allies/warships/ship/4268.html"><strong>HMS Watchman</strong></a> arrived from Gibraltar and began an anti-submarine sweep of the area. At 16.45 hrs <strong>HMS Keppel</strong> dropped a full pattern of five depth charges set for 250ft (76m) after obtaining a good Asdic contact in position 36掳03N/07掳33,5W, and observed an air bubble and possibly oil rise to the surface afterwards, but failed to regain contact. The Germans had switched off the hydrophones and were caught off guard by the accurate detonations, which were felt as severe blows in the boat, which then dived to 95m (312ft). At 18.20 hrs <strong>HMS Watchman</strong> dropped a single depth charge set for 150ft (46m) from the port thrower on an Asdic contact in position 36掳02N/07掳18W, and lost contact after dropping the remaining four depth charges of the pattern in a follow up attack. Hartmann heard these detonate at some distance, but knew that they could not stay submerged all night as the crew had already begun to breathe through potash cartridges, so ordered the boat to be prepared for scuttling before surfacing with all guns manned at 21.45 hrs. However, the destroyers were no longer nearby and the boat was able to leave the area undetected, heading SW with a deck gun out of action due to the breech plug being jammed in place by extreme pressure at depth.</p> <cite>(Sources: KTB U-37, ADM 199/145)</cite></p> <p><strong>3 Nov 1939</strong><br/>The boat suffered slight damage after an air attack.</p> <p><strong>2 Aug 1940</strong><br/>15.08 hrs, North Sea SW of Norway: <a href="/boats/u37.htm">U-37</a> (Oehrn) and <a href="/boats/u38.htm">U-38</a> (Liebe) were sailing together when they were attacked by a Coastal Command <a href="/allies/aircraft/hudson.htm">Hudson</a> (220 Sqdn RAF), whose pilot thought he had attacked a single submarine. No damage.</p> <p>16.00 hrs, 56.15N, 02.35E: following an earlier unsuccessful attempt to waylay <a href="/boats/u34.htm">U-34</a>, Dutch submarine <a href="/allies/warships/ship/2893.html">O-22</a> (J.W. Ort) sighted either U-37 or U-38, and after difficulty getting into a firing position fired two torpedoes from the extreme range of 3600m (3,937 yds) at 16.20. Both missed, and the U-boat remained unaware of the attack.</p></p> <p><strong>24 Aug 1940</strong><br/>The boat was hit by both surface escorts and aircraft in mid-Atlantic and forced to abort to France. Date is approximate. <cite>(Sources: Blair, vol 1, page 180)</cite></p> <p>4 recorded attacks on this boat.</p> </div> <h3>General notes on this boat</h3><p><strong>8 Feb 1941</strong>. <a href="/boats/u37.htm">U-37</a> located convoy <a href="/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=HG-53">HG 53</a> late on 8 Feb 1941. She opened attack on the 9th and sank three ships over the next two days, also calling in Fw Condor aircraft from 2/KG 40 which sank another five ships on the 9th. The heavy cruiser <strong>Hipper</strong> was also vectored to the position, but by the time she arrived on the 11th there only remained a solitary straggler for her to sink.</p> <h3>Men lost from U-boats</h3> <p>Unlike <a href="/men/men_lost.htm">many other U-boats</a>, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-37 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss.</p> <h3>U-boat Emblems</h3> <p>We have 2 <strong>emblem</strong> entries for this boat. See the emblem page <a href="/special/emblems/u37.html">for this boat</a> or view emblems individually below.</p> <table><tr> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem61.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/u37.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Fork</a></td> <td class="width95"><a href="/special/emblems/emblem195.html"><img src="/media/boats/emblems/emblem_missing.gif" class="width80" alt="" /><br>Westward-ho!</a></td> </tr></table><br> <div align="center"> <h3>Media links</h3> <table> <tr> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/2388"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/184832118X.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Attack Logs</a><br>Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor</p><div class="left"><br> <img src="/media/images/flags/small/flag-uk_s.gif" alt="" /> <a href="/about/scripts/amazon_co_uk.php?book=184832118X&path=/boats/u37.htm">amazon.co.uk</a> <br>(拢 38.25)</div></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/1597"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boats_at_war_showell.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boats at War</a><br>Showell, Jak P. Mallmann</p><div class="left"><br> <img src="/media/images/flags/small/flag_usa-s.gif" alt="" /> <a href="/about/scripts/amazon_com.php?book=155750864X&path=/boats/u37.htm">amazon.com</a> <br>($ 35.50)</div></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/267"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/u-boat_operations2.jpg" alt="" /> <br>U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1</a><br>Wynn, Kenneth</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/525"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/german_u-boat_losses.jpg" alt="" /> <br>German U-Boat Losses During World War II</a><br>Niestle, Axel</p></td> <td class="width140"><p><a href="/books/item/537"><img src="/media/books/covers/english/hitlers_uboat_war.jpg" alt="" /> <br>Hitler's U-boat War</a><br>Blair, Clay</p></td></tr> </table> </div> <p><strong>There was another U-37 in World War One</strong><br>That boat was launched from its shipyard on 25 Aug 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 9 Dec 1914. The <a href="/history/wwi/">Naval war in WWI</a> was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about SM <a href="/wwi/boats/?boat=37">U 37 during WWI</a>.</p> <br><br>  <p class='center'><br/>As an Amazon Associate uboat.net earns a commission from qualifying purchases.</p> <div class="adSeperator"></div> <div id="ga_contentFooter728" align="center"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1101670507446460" data-ad-slot="7580936821"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div><br> </div>  <div id="footer"> <div id="footer_navcontainer"> <ul id="footer_navlist"> <li><a href="/" title="Front page">Front page</a></li> <li><a href="/about/" title="About uboat.net">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about/contact.htm" title="Contact us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="/special/faq.htm" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.htm" title="Glossary pages">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/new.htm" title="What's new at uboat.net">What's new</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer_copyright">  © 1995 - 2025 Guðmundur Helgason </div> </div>  </div>  </body></html>