| Victor Oehrn | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 October 1907 |
| Died | 26 December 1997 (aged 90) |
| Place of birth | Kedabek, Russia |
| Place of death | Bonn |
| Buried at | Cemetery Rüngsdorf. Section II–Grave 226 |
| Allegiance |
 Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Reichsmarine Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1927–1945 |
| Rank | Fregattenkapitän |
| Commands held |
U-14 U-37 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Victor Oehrn (21 October 1907—26 December 1997) was a Fregattenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the U-boats U-14 and U-37, sinking twenty-four ships on four patrols, for a total of 104,846 tons of Allied shipping, to stand 28th on the list of highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II.
Career[]
Oehrn joined the Reichsmarine in 1927, serving aboard the light cruisers Königsberg and Karlsruhe, before being one of the first officers to transfer to the newly formed U-boat arm in July 1935. He was appointed to command of U-14 in January 1936, and patrolled in Spanish waters during the Civil War in July–September 1936. In August 1939 he joined the staff of BdU as an Admiralstabsoffizier.[1]
In May 1940 Oehrn took command of U-37, in order to restore trust in the G7e/T2 torpedo, which had performed abysmally, often detonating prematurely or not at all. In four patrols he sank 23 merchant ships for a total of 103,821 GRT, damaged another of 9,494 GRT, and sank the British sloop HMS Penzance, before returning to the staff in August.[1]
From November 1941 Oehrn served on the Mediterranean U-boat staff, but during a mission to North Africa in July 1942, he was severely wounded and captured. After recovering at a British Military Hospital in Alexandria, Oehrn was sent to POW Camp 306 on the Suez Canal. He returned to Germany in October 1943 after being released in a prisoner exchange. Oehrn spent the remainder of the war serving on the staff in a number of posts.[1]
Summary of career[]
Ships attacked[]
As a U-boat commander of U-37 Victor is credited with the sinking of 23 ships for a total of 103,821 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging a ship of 9,494 GRT and sinking one warship, the HMS Penzance, of 1,025 metric tons (1,009 long tons; 1,130 short tons).
| Date | Name of ship | Flag | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 May 1940 | Erik Frisell |  Sweden |
5,006 | Sunk |
| 22 May 1940 | Dunster Grange |  United Kingdom |
9,494 | Damaged |
| 24 May 1940 | Kyma |  Greece |
3,994 | Sunk |
| 27 May 1940 | Sheaf Mead | United Kingdom |
5,008 | Sunk |
| 27 May 1940 | Uruguay |  Argentina |
3,425 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Brazza |  France |
10,387 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Julien | France |
177 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Maria Rosé | France |
2,477 | Sunk |
| 29 May 1940 | Telena | United Kingdom |
7,406 | Sunk |
| 1 June 1940 | Ioanna | Greece |
950 | Sunk |
| 3 June 1940 | Snabb |  Finland |
2,317 | Sunk |
| 8 June 1940 | Upwey Grange | United Kingdom |
9,130 | Sunk |
| 23 August 1940 | Keret |  Norway |
1,718 | Sunk |
| 23 August 1940 | Keret | United Kingdom |
5,242 | Sunk |
| 24 August 1940 | Brookwood | United Kingdom |
5,100 | Sunk |
| 24 August 1940 | HMS Penzance |  United Kingdom |
1,025 | Sunk |
| 25 August 1940 | Blairmore | United Kingdom |
4,141 | Sunk |
| 25 August 1940 | Yewcrest | United Kingdom |
3,409 | Sunk |
| 27 August 1940 | Theodoros T | Greece |
3,409 | Sunk |
| 27 September 1940 | Georges Mabro |  Egypt |
2,555 | Sunk |
| 28 September 1940 | Corrientes | United Kingdom |
6,863 | Sunk |
| 30 September 1940 | Heminge | United Kingdom |
2,499 | Sunk |
| 30 September 1940 | Samala | United Kingdom |
5,390 | Sunk |
| 6 October 1940 | British General | United Kingdom |
6,989 | Sunk |
| 13 October 1940 | Stangrant | United Kingdom |
5,804 | Sunk |
Awards[]
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra with Swords (2 November 1941)[3]
- Italian Croce di guerra al valore militare (28 January 1942)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 October 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-37[4]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 10 June 1940
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, 10 June 1940 | Ein von der Fernfahrt zurückgekehrtes Unterseeboot unter dem Kommando von Kapitänleutnant Oehrn meldet die Versenkung von 43000 BRT feindlichen Schiffraums.[5] |
A submarine returning from a long-distance patrol under the command of Kapitänleutnant Oehrn reports the sinking of 43,000 GRT enemy shipping. |
References[]
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer & Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939-1945 - Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 3-8132-0515-0.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Victor Oehrn and the edit history here.