Type: II-B
Built by: Deutsche Werke (Kiel)
Launched: 18 May, 1940
Commissioned: 15 June, 1940
Feldpost Nr.: M02030
Sunk: 2 May, 1945
Sunk by: scuttled by crew
Location sunk: Wilhelmshaven
Position sunk: not applicable (no men lost)

Skippers of U-137 include Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth who also commanded U-14 and U-556; the emblem of the boat under his command is above which shows his thumb pushing a British ship down. Command then went to OBLT. zS HANS-FERDINAND MASSMANN (4522-1995) from 15 December, 1940. He later commanded U-409. Other Skippers (probably Skippers in training) include: Kapitänleutnant Herbert Brunning who also commanded U-642 and U-3518; Oblt. Schimmel who also commanded U-30 and U-382; Oblt Eric Fischer; Oblt Gemeiner who also commanded U-146 and U-154 where he was killed in action. The last Skipper was Oblt Hans-Joachim Dierkes who had earlier commanded U-14. He was the Skipper when the boat was scuttled by her own crew at the end of the war.

U-137 was initially assigned to the 1st U-BootFlotille based in Kiel until December of 1940 when she was turned into a schulboot (school boat) and transferred to the 22nd U-BootFlotille to train other Skippers. The boat herself remained in Germany as a training boat while the 1st U-BootFlotille moved to Brest, France. While with the 1st in Kiel, U-137 had war patrols off the North Channel in September of 1940 and then into the North Atlantic. The tower emblem here signifies this boat had 7 victories as a frontboot (combat boat) before going to the school flotilla.

At the end of the war, U-137 was scuttled by her crew in Operation ‘REGENBOUGH’ (RAINBOW) which was the operation in which all German naval ships were to be scuttled by their crews. However GrossAdmiral Dönitz specifically ordered the crews NOT to sink their boats and ships. Many did however, and a large number were scuttled by their crews. All but one of these scuttled boats were located after the war. They were all raised and broken up for scrap between 1947 and 1953.

SHIPS SUNK BY U-137 UNDER WOHLFARTH
26.09.40	MANCHESTER BRIGADE	Brit stmr	6,042 GRT
26.09.40	STRATFORD	Brit tnkr	4,753 GRT
26.09.40	ASGERD	Norw stmr	1,308 GRT
13.11.40	CAPE St. ANDREW	Brit stmr	5,094 GRT
16.11.40	PLANTER	Brit stmr	5,887 GRT
17.11.40	VERONICA	Swed stmr	1,316 GRT
17.11.40	SAINT GERMAIN	Brit mtrshp	1,044 GRT
SHIPS DAMAGED BY U-137 UNDER WOHLFARTH
26.09.40	ASHANTIAN	Brit stmr	4,917 GRT
14.10.40	HMS CHESHIRE	Brit AMC	10,552 GRT
(This armed merchant cruiser was hit with one torpedo and was forced to spend six months in Liverpool for repairs.)