U-737

Type

VIIC

Ordered

10 Apr 1941

Laid down

14 Feb 1942

F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1534)

Launched

21 Nov 1942

Commissioned

30 Jan 1943

Ltnt. Wolfgang Poeschel

Commanders

30 Jan 1943	-	4 Feb 1943	Oblt. Wolfgang Poeschel
5 Feb 1943	-	24 Nov 1944	Kptlt. Paul Brasack (Knights Cross)
25 Nov 1944	-	19 Dec 1944	Oblt. Friedrich-August Greus

Career
9 patrols

30 Jan 1943	-	30 Jun 1943	8. Flottille (training)
1 Jul 1943	-	19 Dec 1944	13. Flottille (active service)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sank at 0018hrs on 19 December 1944 in the Norwegian Sea in the Vestfjord, in position 68.10N, 15.28E, after a collision with the German minesweeping ship MRS 25. 31 dead and 20 survivors.

Loss position

View the 9 war patrols

Wolfpack operations

U-737 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Monsun (4 Oct 1943 - 22 Oct 1943)
   Isegrim (16 Jan 1944 - 27 Jan 1944)
   Werwolf (27 Jan 1944 - 9 Feb 1944)
   Taifun (5 Mar 1944 - 7 Mar 1944)
   Trutz (2 Jun 1944 - 6 Jun 1944)
   Feuer (17 Sep 1944 - 19 Sep 1944)
   Grimm (24 Sep 1944 - 2 Oct 1944)
   Panther (16 Oct 1944 - 23 Oct 1944)

Attacks on this boat and other events

9 Oct 1943
The boat was shelled by a coastal battery at Barentsburg (Spitsbergen), but dived before being hit.

6 Mar 1944
Aircraft attack, aircraft shot down: British Liberator Mk.V BZ764 (RAF Sqdn 120/B, pilot F/L Harold F. Kerrigan, RCAF)

The aircraft located U-737 with radar west of the Lofoten Islands, and despite AA hits causing a fire in the starboard outer engine, dropped six depth charges that detonated as close as 10m (33ft) to the U-boat as it dived, forcing it to resurface immediately. The Liberator attacked again, but sustained more flak damage - one round hit the nose, wounding both navigators and disabling the bomb sight and release gear, so that no more depth charges could be dropped. The aircrew managed to put out the fire and jettisoned the remaining depth charges. One of the wounded navigators guided the aircraft to Skitten, Scotland, where it made a belly landing on two engines, and was later written off.

The pilot was awarded the DSO and the navigator the DFC for their actions. The damage forced U-737 to return to Narvik. (Sources: Franks/Zimmerman)

22 Oct 1944
The boat was attacked by a Soviet aircraft in the Barents Sea. Three men were injured and the boat suffered slight damage.

3 recorded attacks on this boat.