U-637
Type | VIIC | |||||||||||||
| Ordered | 20 Jan 1941 | |||||||||||||
| Laid down | 17 Oct 1941 | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 613) | ||||||||||||
| Launched | 7 Jul 1942 | |||||||||||||
| Commissioned | 27 Aug 1942 | Kptlt. Max Dieterich | ||||||||||||
| Commanders |
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| Career | 3 patrols | 27 Aug 1942 - 31 May 1944 5. Flottille (training) 1 Jun 1944 - 5 Jul 1944 1. Flottille (front boat) 6 Jul 1944 - 1 Jan 1945 8. Flottille (front boat) 1 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945 5. Flottille (front boat) | ||||||||||||
| Successes | 1 warship sunk for a total of 56 tons | |||||||||||||
| Fate | Surrendered at Stavanger, Norway on May 8, 1945. Transferred to Loch Ryan, Scotland for Operation Deadlight. Operation Deadlight (post-war Allied operation, info) | |||||||||||||
See the 1 ships hit by U-637 - View the 3 war patrols
Attacks on this boat
26 Apr 1945
Norwegian MTB's (motor torpedo boats) 711 and 723 claim sunk a German U-boat near Utsira, Norway. This attack was in fact aganst the U-637 which survived. The commander of the U-boat shot him self fatally after being seriously wounded in the face. The Engineering officer brought the boat to shore. Several men were lost in this action. [Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Riekeberg] (Sources: Klart til kamp, Helge Storm Bjercke (1954). Axel Niestlé.)
1 recorded attack on this boat.
Schnorchel-fitted U-boat
This boat was fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus and sailed equipped with it in April 1945 but it was of course installed prior to that date. Read more about the Schnorchel and see list of fitted boats.
Men lost from the boat
26 Apr 1945
The commander of the boat was killed in action and the LI took command.
[Kapitänleutnant Wolfgang Riekeberg]
Related: For more info on such losses see - Men lost from U-boats -
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