The Men - The Commander listing

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

Born	21 Oct 1907		Kedabeg, Caucases, Russia
Died	26 Dec 1997	(90)

Victor Oehrn

Ranks

1 Oct 1927	Seekadett
1 Apr 1929	Fähnrich zur See
1 Jun 1931	Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1931	Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1933	Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1936	Kapitänleutnant
1 Sep 1941	Korvettenkapitän
1 May 1944	Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

27 Jan 1940	Iron Cross 2nd Class
10 Jun 1940	Iron Cross 1st Class
21 Oct 1940	Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-14	18 Jan 1936	4 Oct 1937	No war patrols
U-37	6 May 1940	26 Oct 1940	4 patrols (81 days)

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.

Patrol info for Victor Oehrn

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-37	15 May 1940	Wilhelmshaven	9 Jun 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 1,	26 days
2.	U-37	1 Aug 1940	Wilhelmshaven	12 Aug 1940	Lorient	Patrol 2,	12 days
3.	U-37	17 Aug 1940	Lorient	30 Aug 1940	Lorient	Patrol 3,	14 days
4.	U-37	24 Sep 1940	Lorient	22 Oct 1940	Lorient	Patrol 4,	29 days
4 patrols, 81 days at sea

Ships hit by Victor Oehrn

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