Name U-337 Yard number 209 Commissioned 6 May 1942 Launched 26 March 1942 Draft 4.74 m Builder Nordseewerke | Ordered 21 November 1940 Laid down 1 April 1941 Construction started 1 April 1941 Length 67 m Beam 6.18 m | |
 | ||
Fate Listed as missing, 3 January 1943 Part of 5th U-boat Flotilla, 6th U-boat Flotilla | ||
German submarine U-337 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
Contents
The submarine was laid down on 1 April 1941 at the Nordseewerke yard at Emden, launched on 26 March 1942, and commissioned on 6 May 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Ruwiedel.
Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-337 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2,800 to 3,200 metric horsepower (2,060 to 2,350 kW; 2,760 to 3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8-276 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m (4 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 knots (14.1 km/h; 8.7 mph). When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-337 was fitted with five 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm (3.46 in) SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and an anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
FLAK weaponry
U-337 was mounted with two 2cm Flak C38 in a M 43U Zwilling mount with short folding shield on the upper Wintergarten. The M 43U mount was used on a number of U-boats (U-249, U-250, U-278, U-250, U-475, U-853, U-1058, U-1109, U-1023, U-1105, U-1165 and U-1306).
Service history
After training with the 5th U-boat Flotilla at Kiel, U-337 was transferred to the 6th U-boat Flotilla based at Saint-Nazaire in France for front-line service. After sailing from Kiel on 24 December 1942, the U-boat sailed north and then west into the Atlantic south of Iceland. Her last radio report, on 3 January 1943, gave her position as 63°N 12°W. The U-boat was never heard from again. There is no explanation for its loss.