German submarine U-137 (1940)

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-137.

German submarine U-137 (1940)
Career (Germany)
Name:	U-137
Ordered:	25 September 1939
Builder:	Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Laid down:	16 November 1939
Launched:	18 May 1940
Commissioned:	15 June 1940
Fate:	Scuttled on 2 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven
General characteristics
Class & type:	Type IID Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement:	314 Tons (Surfaced) 364 Tons (Submerged)
Length:	144 ft. 3 in. (43.97 meters)
Beam:	16 ft. 2 in. (4.92 meters)
Draught:	12 ft. 11 in (3.93 meters)
Propulsion:	2 × MWM RS127S 6-cylinder diesel engines, 700 hp (522 kW) 2 × SSW PGVV322/26 double-acting electric motors, 402 hp (300 kW)
Speed:	12.7 knots (Surfaced) 7.4 knots (Submerged)
Range:	5,650 miles @ 8 knots (Surfaced) 56 miles @ 4 knots (Submerged)
Test depth:	492 ft. (150 meters)
Complement:	22-24
Armament:	3 × torpedo tubes (bow), 5 torpedoes 1 × 20mm anti-aircraft gun

Service record
Part of:	Kriegsmarine: 1st U-boat flotilla (1940–41) 22nd U-boat flotilla (1941–45)
Commanders:	Kptlt. Herbert Wohlfarth Oblt. Hans-Ferdinand Massmann Oblt. Herbert Brüning Oblt. Gerth Gemeiner Oblt. Günther Schimmel Oblt. Erich Fischer Oblt. Hans-Joachim Dierks
Operations:	Four patrols: 1st patrol: 21–29 September 1940 2nd patrol: 9–17 October 1940 3rd patrol: 3–22 November 1940 4th patrol: 21 June–4 July 1941
Victories:	Six ships sunk for a total of 24,136 gross register tons (GRT) One ship damaged (4,917 GRT); One auxiliary warship damaged (10,552 GRT)

German submarine U-137 was a Type IID U-boat of the Nazi German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 16 November 1939 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel. She was launched on 18 May 1940 and commissioned on 15 June 1940 with Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth in command.

U-137 conducted four patrols, sinking six ships totalling 24,136 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged one vessel of 4,917 GRT. She also damaged one auxiliary warship of 10,552 GRT. She was scuttled shortly before Germany's surrender on 2 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven. U-137 never suffered any casualties to her crew.

Operational career

1st patrol

U-137 made the short journey from Kiel to Stavanger in Norway in September 1940. It was from the Nordic port that she began her first patrol on the 21st. Her route took her through the 'gap' between the Faroe and Shetland Islands and on in to the Atlantic west of Scotland and Ireland.

She sank the Manchester Brigade west of Malin Head on the 26th and damaged the Ashantian on the same date. The ship had been abandoned by her crew; the master and eight crew-members had returned to the vessel where the master was scandalized to see that the ship had been looted following the presence of a boarding party from the armed trawler HMS Wolves. Ashantian was repaired and returned to service in September 1941. She was sunk in April 1943.

Continuing her success, the U-boat sank the Stratford, in the same general area as her other victims, also on the 26th.

U-137 arrived at Lorient on the French Atlantic coast, on 29 September.

2nd patrol

The Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Cheshire was torpedoed northwest of Ireland on 14 October 1940. The ship was towed to Belfast Lough and then moved to Liverpool for repairs that took six months.

Having set off from Lorient on 9 October, the boat returned there on the 17th.

3rd patrol

Sortie number three commenced with U-137's departure from Lorient on 3 November 1940 and returning to her old hunting grounds west of Scotland and north of Ireland. Her run of victories continued, sinking the Cape St. Andrew west northwest of Aran Island on the 13th; the Planter on the 16th north northwest of Bloody Foreland and two ships on the same day, from the same convoy (HG-46), the Veronica and the Saint Germain north northwest of Tory Island on 17 November.

The submarine steamed to Norway, again round the British Isles, docking in Bergen, on 22 November.

4th patrol

The boat's last operational patrol was to the north of the Shetland Islands, but she did not attack any targets. She then moved from Bergen to Helsingör in Denmark and on to Kiel, arriving there on 29 August 1941.

Fate

U-137 became a 'school' (or training) boat in December 1940, a position she would hold for the rest of the war. She was one of many that were scuttled in the Raederschleuse (a lock named after the Grand Admiral), in Wilhelmshaven, on 2 May 1945. The wreck was broken up, although the post-war date is unknown.

Summary of raiding History

Date	Ship Name	Flag	Tonnage (GRT)	Fate	Convoy	Position	Deaths
26 September 1940	Ashantian	Great Britain	4,917	Damaged	OB-218	55°10′N 11°00′W	4
26 September 1940	Manchester Brigade	Great Britain	6,042	Sunk	OB-218	54°53′N 10°22′W	56
26 September 1940	Stratford	Great Britain	4,753	Sunk	OB-218	54°50′N 10°40′W	2
14 October 1940	HMS Cheshire *	Great Britain	10,552	Damaged		55°13′N 13°02′W	0
13 November 1940	Cape St. Andrew	Great Britain	5,094	Sunk	straggler	55°14′N 10°29′W	15
16 November 1940	Planter	Great Britain	5,887	Sunk	romper	55°38′N 08°28′W	13
17 November 1940	Saint Germain	Great Britain	1,044	Sunk	HG-46	55°40′N 08°40′W	0
17 November 1940	Veronica	Sweden	1,316	Sunk	HG-46	55°20′N 08°45′W	17

* Survived the war.

See also

• List of German U-boats

References

• U-boat.net webpage for U-137