German submarine U-137 (1940)

<th colspan="2" >Service record

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German submarine U-137 was a Type IID U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in World War II. Her keel was laid down on 16 November 1939 by Deutsche Werke in Kiel. She was launched on 18 May 1940 and commissioned on 15 June 1940 with Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Wohlfarth in command.

U-137 conducted four patrols, sinking six ships totaling 24,136 gross registered tons (GRT) and damaged one vessel of Template:GRT. She also damaged one auxiliary warship of Template:GRT. She was scuttled on 5 May 1945 at Wilhelmshaven, a week before Germany's surrender. U-137 never suffered any casualties to her crew.

Design

German Type IID submarines were enlarged versions of the original Type IIs. U-137 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. Officially, the standard tonnage was , however.Template:Sfn The U-boat had a total length of , a pressure hull length of , a beam of , a height of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two MWM RS 127 S four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines of for cruising, two Siemens-Schuckert PG VV 322/36 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to .Template:Sfn

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of .Template:Sfn When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at . U-137 was fitted with three torpedo tubes at the bow, five torpedoes or up to twelve Type A torpedo mines, and a anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of 25.Template:Sfn

Operational career

First patrol

U-137 made the short journey from Kiel to Stavanger in Norway in September 1940. It was from the Nordic port that she began her first patrol on the 21st. Her route took her through the gap between the Faroe and Shetland Islands and on in to the Atlantic west of Scotland and Ireland.

She sank Manchester Brigade west of Malin Head on the 26th and damaged Ashantian on the same date. The ship had been abandoned by her crew; the master and eight crew-members had returned to the vessel where the master was scandalized to see that the ship had been looted following the presence of a boarding party from the armed trawler HMS Wolves. Ashantian was repaired and returned to service in September 1941. She was sunk in April 1943.

Continuing her success, the U-boat sank Stratford, in the same general area as her other victims, also on the 26th.

U-137 arrived at Lorient on the French Atlantic coast, on 29 September.

Second patrol

U-137 torpedoed the British Armed Merchant Cruiser northwest of Ireland on 14 October 1940. The Chesire did not sink, and was towed to Belfast Lough, then moved to Liverpool for repairs that took six months.

Having set off from Lorient on 9 October, U-137 returned there on the 17th.

Third patrol

Sortie number three commenced with U-137Template:'s departure from Lorient on 3 November 1940 and returning to her old hunting grounds west of Scotland and north of Ireland. Her run of victories continued, sinking Cape St. Andrew west north-west of Aran Island on the 13th; Planter on the 16th north north-west of Bloody Foreland and two ships on the same day, from the same convoy (HG 46), Veronica and Saint Germain north north-west of Tory Island on 17 November.

The submarine steamed to Norway, again round the British Isles, docking in Bergen, on 22 November.

Fourth patrol

The boat's last operational patrol was to the north of the Shetland Islands, but she did not attack any targets. She then moved from Bergen to Helsingör in Denmark and on to Kiel, arriving there on 29 August 1941.

Fate

U-137 became a 'school' (or training) boat in December 1940, a position she would hold for the rest of the war. She was one of many that were scuttled in Raederschleuse (a lock named after the Grand Admiral), in Wilhelmshaven, on 5 May 1945. The wreck was broken up, although the post-war date is unknown.

Summary of raiding history

Date	Ship Name	Nationality	Tonnage	Fate	Convoy	Position	Deaths
26 September 1940	Ashantian	United Kingdom	4,917	Damaged	OB 218		4
26 September 1940	Manchester Brigade	United Kingdom	6,042	Sunk	OB 218		56
26 September 1940	Stratford	United Kingdom	4,753	Sunk	OB 218		2
14 October 1940	HMS Cheshire	Template:Navy/core	10,552	Damaged			0
13 November 1940	Cape St. Andrew	United Kingdom	5,094	Sunk	Straggler		15
16 November 1940	Planter	United Kingdom	5,887	Sunk	Sailing alone		13
17 November 1940	Saint Germain	United Kingdom	1,044	Sunk	HG 46		0
17 November 1940	Veronica	Sweden	1,316	Sunk	HG 46		17