U-377

Type

VIIC

Ordered

16 Oct, 1939

Laid down

8 Apr, 1940

Howaldtswerke, Kiel (werk 8)

Launched

15 Aug, 1941

Commissioned

2 Oct, 1941

Kptlt. Otto Köhler

Commanders

2 Oct, 1941 - 2 Aug, 1943	Otto Köhler
3 Aug, 1943 - 17 Jan, 1944	Oblt. Gerhard Kluth
22 Sep, 1943 - 10 Oct, 1943	Ernst-August Gerke

Career

12 patrols

2 Oct, 1941 - 1 Feb, 1942  6. Flottille (training)
1 Feb, 1942 - 30 Jun, 1942  6. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jul, 1942 - 28 Feb, 1943  11. Flottille (front boat)
1 Mar, 1943 - 17 Jan, 1944  9. Flottille (front boat)

Successes

No ships sunk or damaged

Fate

Sunk 17 Jan, 1944 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 49.39N, 20.10W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Wanderer and the British frigate HMS Glenarm. 52 dead (all hands lost).

View the 12 war patrols

The boat is often listed as sunk by its own acoustic (T5) torpedo on Jan 15. This is for example documented in Showell's U-boat Command and the Battle of the Atlantic. The author's father was lost on that boat and thus he has researched its fate considerably. The Kriegsmarine received at least 2 unsigned but coded emergency messages around this time but at least one of them seems to have been from U-305.

Previously recorded fate (Last revised by Axel Niestlé during September 2003). More on revised fates

Sunk on 15 Jan, 1944 in the North Atlantic, in approximate position 46N, 20W, by one of its circling torpedoes.

Also
Sunk 15 Jan, 1944 in the Atlantic by rockets and depth charges from aircraft of the US escort Carrier USS Santee.

Wolfpack operations

U-377 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Ritter (14 Feb, 1943 - 20 Feb, 1943)
   Neptun (20 Feb, 1943 - 3 Mar, 1943)
   Amsel (25 Apr, 1943 - 4 May, 1943)
   Amsel II (4 May, 1943 - 6 May, 1943)
   Elbe 2 (11 May, 1943 - 13 May, 1943)
   Leuthen (26 Aug, 1943 - 22 Sep, 1943)

Attacks on this boat

22 Sep, 1943
On 22 Sept a B-24 Liberator (Sqdn 10) attacked the U-377, wounding the commander. The boat had to return to port under the command of the I WO.

U-377 after its return to base. Behind the flotilla commander is the wounded commander Oblt.z.S. Kluth

1 recorded attacks on this boat.

Men lost from the boat

22 Sep, 1943
On 22 Sept a Liberator (Sqdn 10) attacked the U-377, wounding the commander. The boat had to return to port under the command of the I WO.