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08 September, 2008
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Type	IX
Ordered	29 Jul, 1936
Laid down	15 Mar, 1937	AG Weser, Bremen (werk 942)
Launched	14 May, 1938
Commissioned	4 Aug, 1938	Kptlt. Heinrich Schuch
Commanders	4 Aug, 1938 - 24 Sep, 1939   Heinrich Schuch 25 Sep, 1939 - 6 May, 1940   KrvKpt. Werner Hartmann (Knights Cross) 6 May, 1940 - 26 Oct, 1940   Kptlt. Victor Oehrn (Knights Cross) 26 Oct, 1940 - 2 May, 1941   Kptlt. Asmus Nicolai Clausen (Knights Cross) 3 May, 1941 - 15 Nov, 1941   Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers (Knights Cross) 16 Nov, 1941 - 30 Jun, 1942   Gustav-Adolf Janssen 1 Jul, 1942 - 3 Jan, 1943   Albert Lauzemis 4 Jan, 1943 - 19 Nov, 1943   Hinrich Kelling 20 Nov, 1943 - 8 Jan, 1944   Oblt. Peter Gerlach 9 Jan, 1944 - 21 Dec, 1944   Oblt. Wolfgang Seiler 22 Dec, 1944 - 8 May, 1945   Kptlt. Eberhard von Wenden
Career	11 patrols	1 Apr, 1938 - 31 Aug, 1939  6. Flottille (front boat) 1 Sep, 1939 - 31 Dec, 1939  6. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan, 1940 - 30 Apr, 1941  2. Flottille (front boat) 1 May, 1941 - 31 Mar, 1942  26. Flottille (school boat) 1 Apr, 1942 - 30 Jun, 1944  22. Flottille (school boat) 1 Jul, 1944 - 3 May, 1945  4. Flottille (trial boat)(eb)
Successes	53 ships sunk for a total of 200.124 GRT 2 warships sunk for a total of 2.404 tons 1 ship damaged for a total of 9.494 GRT
Fate	Scuttled on 8 May, 1945 in Sonderburg Bay, in position 54.55N, 09.47E, later broken up.

See the 56 ships hit by U-37 - View the 11 war patrols

Attacks on this boat

General notes on this boat

The boat spotted the convoy HG 53 late on Feb 8, 1941. She attacked on the 9th and sank 3 ships during the next 2 days but she also brought in Condor aircraft from 2/KG 40 which attacked on the 9th that sank 5 more ships. The heavy cruiser Hipper is also vectored in to the scene but only finds a straggler on the 11th, sinking her.

Men lost from U-boats

Unlike many other U-boats, 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.

German U-Boat Losses During World War II Niestle, Axel Buy this title at amazon.co.uk See more sellers

Books dealing with this subject include: Feind im Fadenkreuz, Hartmann, Werner, 1942 German U-Boat Losses During World War II, Niestle, Axel, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 1, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 U-Boat Operations of the Second World War - Vol 2, Wynn, Kenneth, 1998 U-Boats at War, Showell, Jak P. Mallmann, 2001 ... see more Naval books

There was another U-37 in World War One
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 25 Aug, 1914 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 9 Dec, 1914. The Naval war in WWI was brought to an end with the Armistice signed on 11 Nov, 1918. Read about the U 37 during WWI.