Victor Oehrn

Victor Otto Oehrn (21 October 1907-Gədəbəy, Azerbaijan – 26 December 1997-Bonn, Germany) was a Fregattenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the U-boats U-14 and U-37, sinking twenty-four ships on four patrols, for a total of 104,846 tons of Allied shipping, to stand 28th on the list of highest scoring U-Boat aces of World War II.

Victor Oehrn
Born(1907-10-21)21 October 1907
Gədəbəy, Azerbaijan
Died26 December 1997(1997-12-26) (aged 90)
Bonn
Buried
Cemetery Rüngsdorf. Section II–Grave 226
Allegiance Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Reichsmarine
 Kriegsmarine
Years of service1927–45
RankFregattenkapitän
Commands heldU-14
U-37
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Oehrn joined the Reichsmarine in 1927, serving aboard the light cruisers Königsberg and Karlsruhe, before being one of the first officers to transfer to the newly formed U-boat arm in July 1935. He was appointed to command of U-14 in January 1936, and patrolled in Spanish waters during the Civil War in July–September 1936. In August 1939 he joined the staff of BdU as an Admiralstabsoffizier.[1]

In May 1940 Oehrn took command of U-37, in order to restore trust in the G7e/T2 torpedo, which had performed abysmally, often detonating prematurely or not at all. In four patrols he sank 23 merchant ships for a total of 103,821 GRT, damaged another of 9,494 GRT, and sank the British sloop HMS Penzance, before returning to the staff in August.[1]

From November 1941 Oehrn served on the Mediterranean U-boat staff, but during a mission to North Africa in July 1942, he was severely wounded and captured. After recovering at a British Military Hospital in Alexandria, Oehrn was sent to POW Camp 306 on the Suez Canal. He returned to Germany in October 1943 after being released in a prisoner exchange. Oehrn spent the remainder of the war serving on the staff in a number of posts.[1]

Summary of career

Ships attacked

As commander of U-37 Victor is credited with the sinking of 23 ships for a total of 103,821 gross register tons (GRT), further damaging a ship of 9,494 GRT and sinking one warship, HMS Penzance, of 1,025 long tons (1,041 tonnes).

Date Name of ship Flag Tonnage Fate
19 May 1940Erik Frisell Sweden5,006Sunk
22 May 1940Dunster Grange United Kingdom9,494Damaged
24 May 1940Kyma Greece3,994Sunk
27 May 1940Sheaf Mead United Kingdom5,008Sunk
27 May 1940Uruguay Argentina3,425Sunk
28 May 1940Brazza France10,387Sunk
28 May 1940Julien France177Sunk
28 May 1940Maria Rosé France2,477Sunk
29 May 1940Telena United Kingdom7,406Sunk
1 June 1940Ioanna Greece950Sunk
3 June 1940Snabb Finland2,317Sunk
8 August 1940Upwey Grange United Kingdom9,130Sunk
23 August 1940Keret Norway1,718Sunk
23 August 1940Severn Leigh United Kingdom5,242Sunk
24 August 1940Brookwood United Kingdom5,100Sunk
24 August 1940HMS Penzance United Kingdom1,025Sunk
25 August 1940Blairmore United Kingdom4,141Sunk
25 August 1940Yewcrest United Kingdom3,409Sunk
27 August 1940Theodoros T Greece3,409Sunk
27 September 1940Georges Mabro Egypt2,555Sunk
28 September 1940Corrientes United Kingdom6,863Sunk
30 September 1940Heminge United Kingdom2,499Sunk
30 September 1940Samala United Kingdom5,390Sunk
6 October 1940British General United Kingdom6,989Sunk
13 October 1940Stangrant United Kingdom5,804Sunk

Awards

References

Notes
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Fregattenkapitän Victor Oehrn". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  2. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 78.
  3. Busch & Röll 2003, p. 79.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 328.

Bibliography
  • Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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