Victor Oehrn

Fregattenkapitän (Crew 27)

Successes
23 ships sunk, total tonnage 103,760 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,025 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 9,494 GRT

Born	21 Oct 1907		Kedabeg, Caucasus, Russia
Died	26 Dec 1997	(90)	Bonn, Germany

Victor Oehrn

Ranks

11 Oct 1927		Seekadett
1 Apr 1929		Fähnrich zur See
1 Jun 1931		Oberfähnrich zur See
1 Oct 1931		Leutnant zur See
1 Jul 1933		Oberleutnant zur See
1 Oct 1936		Kapitänleutnant
1 Sep 1941		Korvettenkapitän
1 May 1944		Fregattenkapitän

Decorations

27 Jan 1940		Iron Cross 2nd Class
10 Jun 1940		Iron Cross 1st Class
21 Oct 1940		Knights Cross

U-boat Commands

U-boat	From	To
U-14	18 Jan 1936	4 Oct 1937	No war patrols
U-37	6 May 1940	26 Oct 1940	4 patrols (81 days)

Kptlt. Oehrn amidst the crew of U-37.

Victor Oehrn joined the Reichsmarine in 1927. He spent his first years mostly on the light cruisers Königsberg and Karlsruhe, but then was one of the first officers to transfer to the newly commissioned U-boat force in July 1935. After a short program of U-boat training, he became commander of U-14 in January 1936, taking the boat into Spanish waters during the Civil War in July/September 1936.

After a year in officer training units he finished as one of the few U-boat officers in the German Marine-Akademie in summer 1939. In August 1939 he became an Asto (Admiralstabsoffizier, Admiral staff officer) on the staff of Dönitz (BdU org).

Following the torpedo malfunctions crisis during and after the invasion of Norway, Kptlt. Oehrn was sent on patrol with U-37 to restore the U-boat men's trust in their torpedoes. This patrol became a great success when he sank ten ships with a total of 41,207 tons and torpedoed and damaged another of 9,494 tons.

His second patrol (seven ships with a total of 28,439 tons) and third patrol (six ships with a total of 28,210 tons) were also successful, and he was awarded the Knights Cross in October 1940 during the third patrol.

Korvkpt. Oehrn during his
North African mission

For the next year Victor Oehrn served as 1st Asto on the staff of Dönitz (BdU org). In November 1941 he took over command of the Mediterranean U-boats, and in February 1942 became 1st Asto on the Mediterranean U-boat staff.

During a mission in North Africa in July 1942, Victor Oehrn was captured after being severely wounded, and ended up in the British General Hospital 19 at Alexandria, Egypt. Later he was sent to POW Camp 306 near the Bitter Lakes on the Suez Canal. He was released in an exchange of prisoners in October 1943 and returned to Germany via Port Said, Barcelona and Marseilles in November 1943.

For the remainder of the war he served in staff positions.

Sources

Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II.
Busch, R. and Röll, H-J. (1997). Der U-Bootkrieg 1939-1945 (Band 2).
Rohwer, J. (1998). Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two.

Patrol info for Victor Oehrn

	U-boat	Departure		Arrival
1.	U-37	15 May 1940	Wilhelmshaven	9 Jun 1940	Wilhelmshaven	Patrol 1,	26 days
2.	U-37	1 Aug 1940	Wilhelmshaven	12 Aug 1940	Lorient	Patrol 2,	12 days
3.	U-37	17 Aug 1940	Lorient	30 Aug 1940	Lorient	Patrol 3,	14 days
4.	U-37	24 Sep 1940	Lorient	22 Oct 1940	Lorient	Patrol 4,	29 days
4 patrols, 81 days at sea

Ships hit by Victor Oehrn

Date	U-boat	Name of ship	Tons		Convoy
19 May 1940	U-37	Erik Frisell	5,066	sw
22 May 1940	U-37	Dunster Grange (d.)	9,494	br
24 May 1940	U-37	Kyma	3,994	gr
27 May 1940	U-37	Sheaf Mead	5,008	br
27 May 1940	U-37	Uruguay	3,425	ar
28 May 1940	U-37	Brazza	10,387	fr	60-XF
28 May 1940	U-37	Julien	116	fr
29 May 1940	U-37	Marie José	2,477	fr
29 May 1940	U-37	Telena	7,406	br
1 Jun 1940	U-37	Ioanna	950	gr	HG-32F
3 Jun 1940	U-37	Snabb	2,317	fi
8 Aug 1940	U-37	Upwey Grange	9,130	br
23 Aug 1940	U-37	Keret	1,718	nw	OA-200
23 Aug 1940	U-37	Severn Leigh	5,242	br	OA-200
24 Aug 1940	U-37	Brookwood	5,100	br	OA-200
24 Aug 1940	U-37	HMS Penzance (L 28)	1,025	br	SC-1
25 Aug 1940	U-37	Blairmore	4,141	br	SC-1
25 Aug 1940	U-37	Yewcrest	3,774	br	OB-201
27 Aug 1940	U-37	Theodoros T.	3,409	gr
27 Sep 1940	U-37	Georges Mabro	2,555	ag
28 Sep 1940	U-37	Corrientes	6,863	br	OB-217
30 Sep 1940	U-37	Samala	5,390	br
30 Sep 1940	U-37	Heminge	2,499	br	OB-220
6 Oct 1940	U-37	British General	6,989	br	OA-222
13 Oct 1940	U-37	Stangrant	5,804	br	HX-77
			114,279
24 ships sunk (104,785 tons) and 1 ship damaged (9,494 tons). Legend We have a picture of this vessel. (d.) means the ship was damaged.