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Victor Oehrn

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 27)

Successes 23 ships sunk for a total of 103,821 GRT 1 warship sunk for a total of 1,025 tons 1 ship damaged for a total of 9,494 GRT

Personal information

Kptlt. Oehrn amidst the crew of U-37.

Victor Oehrn began his naval career in 1927. He spent his first years mostly on the light cruisers Königsberg and Karlsruhe, but then was one of the first officers to transfer in July 1935 to the newly commissioned U-boat force. After a short program of U-boat training, he became commander of U-14 in January 1936, taking the boat into Spanish waters during the Civil War in July/September 1936.

After a year in officer training units he finished as one of the few U-boat officers in the German Marine-Akademie in summer 1939. In August 1939 he became Admiralstabsoffizier (Asto) in the staff of Dönitz (BdU org).

But after the torpedo crisis in Norwegian waters Kptlt. Oehrn was sent on patrol with U-37 to restore the U-boat men's trust in their torpedoes. This patrol became a great success when he sank ten ships for a total of 41,207 tons and torpedoed and damaged another ship of 9,494 tons.

His second patrol (seven ships for a total of 28,439 tons) and third patrol (six ships for a total of 28,210 tons) were also successful.

Korvkpt. Oehrn during his North Africa mission

For the next year Victor Oehrn again served as first Admiralstabsoffizier (Asto) in the staff of Dönitz (BdU org). In November 1941 he took over command of the Mediterranean U-boats, and in February 1942 became the first Admiralstabsoffizier (Asto) on the Mediterranean U-boat staff.

During a mission in North Africa in July 1942, Victor Oehrn was severely wounded, captured, and brought to the British 19 General Hospital in Alexandria. Later he was sent to Camp 306 near the Bitter Seas on the Suez Canal. He was released in an exchange of prisoners in October 1943 and returned to Germany via Port Said, Barcelona and Marseilles in November 1943.

The remainder of the war he spent serving in several staff positions.

Date	U-boat	Commander		Name of ship	Tons	Nat.		Convoy
19 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Erik Frisell	5,066		sw
22 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Dunster Grange (d.)	9,494		br
24 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Kyma	3,994		gr
27 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Sheaf Mead	5,008		br
27 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Uruguay	3,425		ar
28 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Brazza	10,387		fr	60-XF
28 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Julien	177		fr
29 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Marie José	2,477		fr
29 May 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Telena	7,406		br
1 Jun 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Ioanna	950		gr	HGF-32
3 Jun 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Snabb	2,317		fi
8 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Upwey Grange	9,130		br
23 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Keret	1,718		nw	OA-200
23 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Severn Leigh	5,242		br	OA-200
24 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Brookwood	5,100		br	OA-200
24 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		HMS Penzance (L 28)	1,025		br	SC-1
25 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Blairmore	4,141		br	SC-1
25 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Yewcrest	3,774		br	OB-201
27 Aug 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Theodoros T.	3,409		gr
27 Sep 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Georges Mabro	2,555		ag
28 Sep 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Corrientes	6,863		br	OB-217
30 Sep 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Heminge	2,499		br	OB-220
30 Sep 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Samala	5,390		br
6 Oct 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		British General	6,989		br	OA-222
13 Oct 1940	U-37	Victor Oehrn		Stangrant	5,804		br	HX-77
					114,340
24 ships sunk (104,846 tons) and 1 ship damaged (9,494 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.

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