German submarine U-637
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Germany | |
| Name | U-637 |
| Ordered | 20 January 1941 |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg |
| Yard number | 613 |
| Laid down | 17 October 1941 |
| Launched | 7 July 1942 |
| Commissioned | 27 August 1942 |
| Fate | Surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Stavanger. Later sunk as part of Operation Deadlight on 21 December 1945. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Type VIIC submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | |
| Test depth |
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| Complement | 4 officers, 40–56 enlisted |
| Armament |
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| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
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| Identification codes: | M 51 550 |
| Commanders: |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: |
1 warship sunk (39 tons) |
German submarine U-637 was a
. She wasBlohm & Voss, Hamburg as yard number 613, launched on 7 July 1942 and commissioned on 27 August 1942 under Kapitänleutnant
Max Bernd Dieterich.
Design
supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two BBC GG UB 720/8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[2]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph).anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.[2]
Service history
The boat's career began with training at 5th U-boat Flotilla on 27 August 1942, followed by active service on 1 June 1944 as part of the 1st Flotilla.
In three patrols she sank one warship, for a total of 39 tons.
Fate
U-637 surrendered on 9 May 1945 at Stavanger and later sunk as part of Operation Deadlight on 21 December 1945 at position 55°35′N 07°46′W / 55.583°N 7.767°W.
Summary of raiding history
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 1] | Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 December 1944 | BMO-594 |  Soviet Navy
|
39 | Sunk |
References
Notes
- gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-637". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- ^ a b c d Gröner 1991, pp. 43–46.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-637". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Der U-Boot-Krieg, 1939-1945: Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Vol. IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
- Gröner, Eric; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Sharpe, Peter (1998). U-Boat Fact File. Great Britain: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-072-9.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type VIIC boat U-637". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1945 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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