German submarine U-370


German submarine U-370 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
She carried out twelve patrols before being scuttled in northern Germany in May 1945.
She sank two warships.

Design

were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-370 had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of, a pressure hull length of, a beam of, a height of, and a draught of. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a maximum submerged speed of. When submerged, the boat could operate for at ; when surfaced, she could travel at. U-370 was fitted with five torpedo tubes, fourteen torpedoes, one SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history

The submarine was laid down on 25 August 1942 at the Flensburger Schiffsbau yard at Flensburg as yard number 493, launched on 28 July 1942 and commissioned on 12 November under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Karl Nielsen.
She served with the 4th U-boat Flotilla from 19 November 1943, the 8th flotilla from 1 August 1944 and was back with the 4th flotilla on 16 February 1945.
U-370 spent her entire career in the relatively confined waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland.

1st-5th patrols

The boat's first patrol was preceded by trips from Kiel to Marviken and then back to Kiel, from where she departed on 9 July 1944. She sailed through the Baltic and into the Gulf of Finland, arriving at Reval,, on 12 July.
She spent the rest of her career in the Ostsee, sinking the Soviet Patrol boat MO-101 in Björkö Sound on 31 July 1944 during her fifth patrol.

6th-12th patrols

During her ninth sortie Matrosengefreiter Erwin Stiegeler was swept overboard in the Baltic on 23 September 1944.
It was while on her eleventh foray that she sank the .

Fate

U-370 was scuttled in Geltinger Bucht on 5 May 1945. The wreck was broken up in 1948.

Summary of raiding history