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 on 5 May 1945.

She sank two warships.

Design
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-370 had a displacement of 769 t when at the surface and 871 t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m, a pressure hull length of 50.50 m, a beam of 6.20 m, a height of 9.60 m, and a draught of 4.74 m. The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of 2800 to 3200 PS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23 m propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 m.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 17.7 kn and a maximum submerged speed of 7.6 kn. When submerged, the boat could operate for 80 nmi at 4 kn; when surfaced, she could travel 8500 nmi at 10 kn. U-370 was fitted with five 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and two 2 cm C/30 anti-aircraft guns. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.

Service history
The submarine was laid down on 21 November 1942 at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft yard at Flensburg as yard number 493, launched on 24 September 1943 and commissioned on 19 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.

First to fifth 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, (now Tallinn in Estonia), 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.

Sixth to twelfth 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 FINNISH MINELAYER Louhi (12 January 1945).

Fate
U-370 was scuttled in Geltinger Bucht (east of Flensburg) on 5 May 1945. The wreck was broken up in 1948.