SM U-37

For other ships of the same name, see German submarine U-37.
Career (German Empire)
Name: U-37
Ordered: 12 June 1912
Builder: Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down: 2 January 1913
Launched: 25 August 1914
Commissioned: 9 December 1914
Fate: Struck mine on 30 April 1915 in Straits of Dover
General characteristics
Class and type:German Type U 31 submarine
Displacement:685 tons surfaced
878 tons submerged
971 tons (total)
Length:64.70 m (overall)
52.36 m (pressure hull)
Beam:6.32 m (overall)
4.05 m (pressure hull)
Height:7.68 m
Draught:3.56 m
Propulsion:Diesel (2 x 950 PS)
Electric (2 x 600 PS)
1850 hp surfaced
1200 hp submerged
Speed:16.4 knots surfaced
9.7 knots submerged
Range:8790 miles at 8 kn surfaced 80 miles at 5 kn submerged[1]
Test depth:50 m
Complement:4 officers
31 crewmen
Armament:
Service record
Part of: II Flotilla
unknown start – 30 Apr 1915
Commanders: Kptlt Erich Wilcke[4]
9 Dec 1914 – 30 Apr 1915
Operations: 1 patrol
Victories: 2 merchant ships sunk (2,811 GRT)
1 merchant ship damaged (3,459 GRT)

SM U-37 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. U-37 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.

Summary of Raiding Career

Date Name Nationality Tonnage
(GRT)		 Fate[5]
25 March 1915 Delmira  United Kingdom 3,459 Damaged
31 March 1915 Emma  France 1,617 Sunk
1 April 1915 Seven Seas  United Kingdom 1,194 Sunk

References

  1. ↑ Type U31 at Uboat.net
  2. ↑ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "U-Boats (1905-18)", in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, "(Phoebus Publishing, 1978), Volume 23, p.2534.
  3. ↑ Fitzsimons, p.2575; he mistakenly identifies it as 86mm p.2534.
  4. ↑ "Erich Wilcke". Uboat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "SM U-37 successes". UBoat.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.