U-Boat Operations

Operations information for U-37
19.08.1939 - 15.09.1939 First Sailing - active patrol U-37 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Heinrich Schuch on 19th Aug 1939 for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 15th Sep 1939 after nearly four weeks.
05.10.1939 - 08.11.1939 Second Sailing - active patrol On the 5th Oct 1939, U-37 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Werner Hartmann for operations in the North Atlantic and after nearly five weeks arrived at return on 8th Nov 1939. Werner Hartmann hit eight ships on this patrol, one was from convoy HG-3. On 8th Oct 1939 he sank the Swedish 1,018 ton Vistula. On 12th Oct 1939 he sank the Greek 4,810 ton Aris. On 15th Oct 1939 he sank the French 5,186 ton Vermont. On 17th Oct 1939 he sank the British 10,184 ton Yorkshire, sailing with convoy HG-3. On 24th Oct 1939 he sank the British 2,474 ton Menin Ridge. On 24th Oct 1939 he sank the British 3,528 ton Ledbury. On 24th Oct 1939 he sank the British 4,413 ton Tafna. On 30th Oct 1939 he sank the Greek 3,693 ton Thrasyvoulos.
28.01.1940 - 27.02.1940 Third Sailing - active patrol U-37 departed under Werner Hartmann from Wilhelmshaven on 28th Jan 1940 for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 27th Feb 1940 after over four weeks. Werner Hartmann hit eight ships on this patrol, two of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy 10-RS and one was from convoy OG-18. On 4th Feb 1940 he sank the Norwegian 1,365 ton Hop. On 4th Feb 1940 he sank the British 4,330 ton Leo Dawson. On 10th Feb 1940 he sank the Norwegian 1,259 ton Silja. On 11th Feb 1940 he sank the British 290 ton Togimo. On 15th Feb 1940 he sank the Danish 1,206 ton Aase. On 17th Feb 1940 he sank the British 7,418 ton Pyrrhus, a member of convoy OG-18. On 18th Feb 1940 he sank the French 3,754 ton PLM 15, part of convoy 10-RS. On 18th Feb 1940 he sank the Greek 4,917 ton Ellin. On 8th February U-37 landed two Abwehr agents at Donegal Bay in Ireland.You can read more about the Norwegian ships listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the links for more information on Hop and Silja.
30.03.1940 - 18.04.1940 Fourth Sailing - active patrol U-37 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Werner Hartmann on 30th Mar 1940 for operations around Norway and the Hebrides and after more than two weeks arrived at return on 18th Apr 1940. Werner Hartmann hit three ships on this patrol. On 10th Apr 1940 he sank the Norwegian 5,128 ton Tosca. On 10th Apr 1940 he sank the Swedish 9,076 ton Sveaborg. On 12th Apr 1940 he sank the British 4,511 ton Stancliffe. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Tosca.
15.05.1940 - 09.06.1940 Fifth Sailing - active patrol On the 15th May 1940, U-37 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Victor Oehrn for operations around Portugal and Spain and arrived at return on 9th Jun 1940 after three and a half weeks. Victor Oehrn hit eleven ships on this patrol. On 19th May 1940 he sank the Swedish 5,066 ton Erik Frisell. On 22nd May 1940 he damaged the British 9,494 ton Dunster Grange. On 24th May 1940 he sank the Greek 3,994 ton Kyma. On 27th May 1940 he sank the Argentinian 3,425 ton Uruguay. On 27th May 1940 he sank the British 5,008 ton Sheaf Mead. On 28th May 1940 he sank the French 10,387 ton Brazza. On 28th May 1940 he sank the French 177 ton Julien. On 29th May 1940 he sank the French 2,477 ton Marie José. On 29th May 1940 he damaged the British 7,406 ton Telena. On 1st Jun 1940 he sank the Greek 950 ton Ioanna. On 3rd Jun 1940 he sank the Finnish 2,317 ton Snabb. The Telena was salvaged and repaired in Spain, becoming the Spanish Gerona. Previously we had erroneously recorded Telena as sunk. Thanks to Juan C Salgado for his help.
01.08.1940 - 12.08.1940 Sixth Sailing - active patrol U-37 departed under Victor Oehrn from Wilhelmshaven on 1st Aug 1940 for operations W of Ireland and after one and a half weeks arrived at return on 12th Aug 1940. Victor Oehrn hit one ship on this patrol. On 8th Aug 1940 he sank the British 9,130 ton Upwey Grange.
17.08.1940 - 30.08.1940 Seventh Sailing - active patrol U-37 left Lorient under the command of Victor Oehrn on 17th Aug 1940 for operations SW of Ireland and arrived at return on 30th Aug 1940 after nearly two weeks. Victor Oehrn hit seven ships on this patrol, three of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy OA-200 and two were from convoy SC-1. On 23rd Aug 1940 he sank the Norwegian 1,718 ton Keret. On 23rd Aug 1940 he sank the British 5,242 ton Severn Leigh. On 24th Aug 1940 he sank the British 1,025 ton HMS Penzance, from convoy SC-1. On 24th Aug 1940 he sank the British 5,100 ton Brookwood, sailing with convoy OA-200. On 25th Aug 1940 he sank the British 3,774 ton Yewcrest. On 25th Aug 1940 he sank the British 4,141 ton Blairmore, a member of convoy SC-1. On 27th Aug 1940 he sank the Greek 3,409 ton Theodoros T. You can read more about the Norwegian ship listed for this patrol at www.warsailors.com. Click the link for more information on Keret.
24.09.1940 - 22.10.1940 Eighth Sailing - active patrol On the 24th Sep 1940, U-37 left Lorient under the command of Victor Oehrn for operations in the North Atlantic and after four weeks arrived at return on 22nd Oct 1940. Victor Oehrn hit six ships on this patrol, four of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy HX-77, one was from convoy OA-222, one was from convoy OB-217 and one was from convoy OB-220. On 27th Sep 1940 he sank the Egyptian 2,555 ton Georges Mabro. On 28th Sep 1940 he sank the British 6,863 ton Corrientes, part of convoy OB-217. On 30th Sep 1940 he sank the British 2,499 ton Heminge, from convoy OB-220. On 30th Sep 1940 he sank the British 5,390 ton Samala. On 6th Oct 1940 he sank the British 6,989 ton British General, sailing with convoy OA-222. On 13th Oct 1940 he sank the British 5,804 ton Stangrant, a member of convoy HX-77.
28.11.1940 - 07.01.1941 Ninth Sailing - active patrol U-37 departed under Asmus Nicolai Clausen from Lorient on 28th Nov 1940 for operations around NW Africa and Spain and arrived at return on 7th Jan 1941 after more than five weeks. Asmus Nicolai Clausen hit seven ships on this patrol, three of these ships were in convoy, all of them from convoy OG-46. On 1st Dec 1940 he sank the British 1,578 ton Palmella. On 2nd Dec 1940 he sank the Swedish 1,258 ton Gwalia, part of convoy OG-46. On 2nd Dec 1940 he sank the British 2,465 ton Jeanne M, from convoy OG-46. On 4th Dec 1940 he sank the Swedish 1,513 ton Daphne, sailing with convoy OG-46. On 16th Dec 1940 he sank the Spanish 223 ton San Carlos. On 19th Dec 1940 he sank the French 1,379 ton Sfax. On 19th Dec 1940 he sank the French 2,785 ton Rhône.
30.01.1941 - 18.02.1941 Tenth Sailing - active patrol U-37 left Lorient under the command of Asmus Nicolai Clausen on 30th Jan 1941 for operations SW of Spain and after more than two weeks arrived at return on 18th Feb 1941. Asmus Nicolai Clausen hit three ships on this patrol and all of them were in convoy, all of them from convoy HG-53. On 9th Feb 1941 he sank the British 1,325 ton Courland, a member of convoy HG-53. On 9th Feb 1941 he sank the British 1,983 ton Estrellano, part of convoy HG-53. On 10th Feb 1941 he sank the British 1,473 ton Brandenburg, from convoy HG-53. On 9th February U-37 took part in what was the only combined air, U-Boat and surface ship coordinated attack in the Atlantic: Clausen shadowed HG-53, sending beacon signals to home in a force of KG40 aircraft from the Bordeau-Mérignac base. The U-37 commander held off his attack until authorised, whereupon he sank two ships from the convoy. When the aircraft arrived HG-53 put up a good defence, but in vain. One FW-200 was nearly shot down, but the other 5 Kondors sank 5 ships from HG-53. Admiral Hipper joined the attack last after Dönitz convinced OKM to send the cruiser, which sank a straggler from HG-53. Clausen added one more ship to his tally on the 10th and then having expended all his torpedoes, set course for Lorient.
27.02.1941 - 22.03.1941 Eleventh Sailing - active patrol On the 27th Feb 1941, U-37 left Lorient under the command of Asmus Nicolai Clausen for operations in the North Atlantic and arrived at return on 22nd Mar 1941 after over three weeks. Asmus Nicolai Clausen hit two ships on this patrol. On 7th Mar 1941 he sank the Greek 3,050 ton Mentor. On 12th Mar 1941 he sank the Icelandic 91 ton Petursey. During operations against convoy HX-112, Clausen attempted a surfaced attack. However HMS Walker of Escort Group 5 rammed and depth charged U-37 as Clausen dived, the resulting damage severe enough to warrant a return to base.

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