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 | 21 October 1907 Gədəbəy, Azerbaijan |
| Died | 26 December 1997 (aged 90) Bonn |
| Buried | Cemetery Rüngsdorf. Section II–Grave 226 |
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| Years of service | 1927–45 |
| Rank | Fregattenkapitän |
| Commands held | U-14 U-37 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight'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 1940 | Erik Frisell |  | 5,006 | Sunk |
| 22 May 1940 | Dunster Grange |  | 9,494 | Damaged |
| 24 May 1940 | Kyma | .svg.png){kind=small} | 3,994 | Sunk |
| 27 May 1940 | Sheaf Mead | | 5,008 | Sunk |
| 27 May 1940 | Uruguay |  | 3,425 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Brazza |  | 10,387 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Julien | | 177 | Sunk |
| 28 May 1940 | Maria Rosé | | 2,477 | Sunk |
| 29 May 1940 | Telena | | 7,406 | Sunk |
| 1 June 1940 | Ioanna | | 950 | Sunk |
| 3 June 1940 | Snabb |  | 2,317 | Sunk |
| 8 August 1940 | Upwey Grange | | 9,130 | Sunk |
| 23 August 1940 | Keret |  | 1,718 | Sunk |
| 23 August 1940 | Severn Leigh | | 5,242 | Sunk |
| 24 August 1940 | Brookwood | | 5,100 | Sunk |
| 24 August 1940 | HMS Penzance |  | 1,025 | Sunk |
| 25 August 1940 | Blairmore | | 4,141 | Sunk |
| 25 August 1940 | Yewcrest | | 3,409 | Sunk |
| 27 August 1940 | Theodoros T | | 3,409 | Sunk |
| 27 September 1940 | Georges Mabro | .svg.png){kind=small} | 2,555 | Sunk |
| 28 September 1940 | Corrientes | | 6,863 | Sunk |
| 30 September 1940 | Heminge | | 2,499 | Sunk |
| 30 September 1940 | Samala | | 5,390 | Sunk |
| 6 October 1940 | British General | | 6,989 | Sunk |
| 13 October 1940 | Stangrant | | 5,804 | Sunk |
Awards
- Sudetenland Medal (20 December 1939)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra with Swords (2 November 1941)[3]
- Italian Croce di guerra al valore militare (28 January 1942)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 October 1940 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-37[4]
References
Notes
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Fregattenkapitän Victor Oehrn". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- Busch & Röll 2003, p. 78.
- Busch & Röll 2003, p. 79.
- 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.