German submarine U-372 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine for service during World War II.She was laid down on 17 November 1939 by Kriegsmarinewerft Kiel as construction number 3, launched on 8 March 1941 and commissioned on 19 April 1941 under Kapitänleutnant Heinz-Joachim Neumann.
German Type VIIC submarines were preceded by the shorter Type VIIB submarines. U-372 had a displacement of 769t when at the surface and 871t while submerged. She had a total length of 67.1m (220.1feet), a pressure hull length of 50.5m (165.7feet), a beam of 6.2m (20.3feet), a height of 9.6m (31.5feet), and a draught of 4.74m (15.55feet). The submarine was powered by two Germaniawerft F46 four-stroke, six-cylinder supercharged diesel engines producing a total of NaNPS for use while surfaced, two AEG GU 460/8–27 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750PS for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.23abbr=onNaNabbr=on 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-372 was fitted with five 53.30NaN0 torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and one at the stern), fourteen torpedoes, one 8.82NaN2 SK C/35 naval gun, 220 rounds, and a 2sp=usNaNsp=us C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of between forty-four and sixty.
The boat's career began with training at 1st U-boat Flotilla on 19 April 1941, followed by active service on 1 July 1941 as part of the 1st Flotilla until 13 December 1941, when she joined 29th U-boat Flotilla for operations in the Mediterranean.
In 6 patrols she sank 3 merchant ships, for a total of, and HMS Medway, a, valuable submarine depot ship.
U-372 was sunk on 4 August 1942 in the Mediterranean, SW of Haifa, in position 32.4667°N 71°W, by depth charges from Royal Navy destroyers,,, and an RAF Wellington bomber piloted by F/O Gordon L. MacIntyre DFC. All hands survived.
U-372 took part in three wolfpacks, namely:
| Date | Ship Name | Nationality | Tonnage[1] | Fate[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 August 1941 | Belgravian |  United Kingdom | 3,136 | Sunk | |
| 5 August 1941 | Swiftpool | United Kingdom | 5,205 | Sunk | |
| 19 September 1941 | Baron Pentland | United Kingdom | 3,410 | Sunk | |
| 30 June 1942 | 14,650 | Sunk |