German submarine U-537 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of Nazi Germany's during World War II. Her keel was laid down on 10 April 1942 by Deutsche Werft in Hamburg. She was commissioned on 27 January 1943 with Peter Schrewe in command. Schrewe commanded the boat for nearly two years, until her loss. She was then sent to the Far East. On 10 November 1944 in the Java Sea east of Surabaya, U-537 was sunk with all hands—58 officers and men—by torpedoes from .
While on anti-shipping patrol off Newfoundland on 31 October, the U-boat was attacked by a Canadian Hudson aircraft from No. 11 Squadron RCAF, which fired eight rockets, all missing. On 10 November a Canadian Catalina aircraft from No. 5 Squadron RCAF attacked her with four depth charges off Cape Race. The U-boat escaped unharmed, but the next day another Catalina of 5 Squadron attacked with four depth charges which slightly damaged the submarine. Surface ships then joined the hunt, but all failed to locate her, and U-537 arrived safely at Lorient on 8 December.
Second patrol
U-537 sailed from Lorient on 25 March 1944 and traveled around Africa, and then crossed the Indian Ocean to Batavia, which she reached on 2 August after a voyage of 131 days.
Third patrol
U-537 left Batavia for Surabaya in Indonesia on 1 October 1944, and began her third and final patrol on 9 November. On 10 November, she was spotted and sunk with all hands — 58 officers and men — in the Java Sea, at position , by torpedoes from in one of the few instances of an American submarine attacking a German vessel in World War II.