U-Boat Refueling

Locations and Supply Ships

by Chuck Myles (1068-1989)


Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) for this huge task. Every time a U-Boat took on fuel in any foreign port, on the high seas, from another U-Boat, from some ship or any way at all that a U-Boat took on fuel, CHUCK put it on his list.

U-566 refueled from the U-Tanker U-459 some 500 miles northeast of Bermuda in Grid Square CC on 2 May, 1942. She departed her French base (Brest, 1st U-Flot.) on 8 April then went to her operational area off New York, to the Gulf of Maine and back to New York where she joined GROUP PATHFINDER some 400 miles off New York.

U-566 refueled a second time from U-459 (which had gone to France for reloading and returned to position in the Atlantic) over the night of 6/7 June for her return to Brest, where she arrived 30 June, 1942.

U-103 took on fuel from U-459 five hundred miles northeast of Bermuda in Grid Square CC on 6 May, 1942. She had departed her French base (Lorient, 2nd U-Flot) on 14 April then went to her operational area off the US east coast. Later she went to patrol the Bahamas, then further into the Caribbean where she patrolled between Cuba and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. She began her return voyage 1 June and arrived at Lorient 22 June.

U-753 refueled from U-459 five hundred miles northeast of Bermuda in Grid Square CC on 8 May, 1942. She had departed her French base (La Rochelle, 3rd U-Flot) on 22 April, 1942. She arrived on station off the American east coast and travelled down along the Florida coast then into the Gulf of Mexico. She departed 31 March and arrived back at base 25 June.

U-69 refueled from U-459 five hundred miles northeast of Bermuda in Grid Square CC over the night of 8/9 May, 1942. She had departed her French base (St. Nazaire, 7th U-Flot) on 12 April, 1942 and proceeded to her operational area in the Antilles in the Central Caribbean, then to Martinique and to the Eastern Caribbean. She departed 7 June and arrived at base 25 June.

U-558 refueled from U-459 on 28 May, 1942 for her trip back to her home base (Brest, 1st U-Flot) after her patrol in the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti.

U-116 was used as a U-Tanker in the North Atlantic from 15 May until 9 June, 1942 and she refueled six FRONTBOOTS of Group HECHT over 25 - 27 May, 1942. Her operational area was 600 miles south of Cape Race. U-116 was a TYPE X-B and was the first minelaying U-Boat to be built since World War I. In the spring of 1942 the Naval Staff had drawn up plans for employing this TYPE on extensive minelaying operations but the first trials had shown a defect in the mine itself which caused several of them to detonate prematurely. It took several months to rectify the problems with the mines. Meanwhile, U-116 was used as a U-Tanker in the Atlantic where she could supply up to 240 tons of fuel to FRONTBOOTS. On 25 May, 1942 she arrived on station 600 miles south of Cape Race and refueled the boats of Group HECHT. U-116 departed France on 16 May, 1942 & returned 9 June.

U-590 refueled from U-116 on 27 May, 1942. Approximately 10 May, she engaged Convoy ONS.92, joined Group HECHT in the scouting formation, then engaged Convoy ONS.94 prior to meeting U-116 to refuel. Convoy ONS.96 was sighted but not attacked as the group proceeded northeast in scouting formation. Convoy ONS.100 was engaged, then there was more scouting in formation until Convoy ONS.102 was engaged and U-590 suffered damage, so she returned to her French base 26 June.

U-406 refueled from U-116. Prior to refueling, approximately 9 May, 1942 she engaged Convoy ONS.92 then joined Group HECHT and proceeded in scouting formation and engaged Convoy ONS.94. ONS.96 was sighted but not attacked as the group proceeded northeast in scouting formation. Convoy ONS.100 was engaged, then more scouting in formation until Convoy ONS.102 was engaged. U-406 took on fuel from U-460 for her return voyage, over the night of 19/20 June and arrived her French base (St. Nazaire, 7th U-Flot) on 1 July.

On 7 May, 1942 U-569 engaged Convoy ONS.92 while outward bound,joined Group HECHT and proceeded in scouting formation, engaging Convoy ONS.94, then refueled from U-116 on 27 May, 1942. ONS.96 was sighted but not engaged as the group proceeded northeast in scouting formation. Convoy ONS.100 was engaged, then more scouting in formation until Convoy ONS.102 was engaged. U-569 left station around 20 June and returned to her French base (La Rochelle, 3rd U-Flot) where she arrived 28 June.

On 7 May, 1942 U-94 engaged Convoy ONS.92 while outward bound, joined Group HECHT and proceeded in scouting formation, engaging Convoy ONS.94, then refueled from U-116 on 27 May, 1942. ONS.96 was sighted but not engaged as the group proceeded northeast in scouting formation. Convoy ONS.100 was engaged, then more scouting in formation until Convoy ONS.102 was engaged during which time U-94 was damaged and forced to leave station on and return to her French base (St. Nazaire, 7th U-Flot) where she arrived 23 June, 1942.

U-124 operated as U-569 and U-94 above, engaged the convoys with those boats and took on fuel from U-116 on 27 May, 1942. U-124 arrived back at her French base (Lorient, 2nd U-Flot) on 26 June, 1942

U-96 operated as U-569, U-94 and U-124 above, engaged the convoys with these boats and took on fuel from U-116 on 27 May, 1942 on her outbound voyage then again over the night of 19/20 June for her return voyage. She reached her French base (St. Nazaire, 7th U-Flot) on 1 July, 1942.

U-594 refueled from U-459 in mid-June 1942 for the second time.

U-566 refueled from U-459 over the night of 6/7 June 1942 for the second "top off" of this patrol. She returned to her French base (Brest, 1st U-Flot) and arrived 30 June, 1942.

U-106 refueled from U-459 in mid-June 1942 for her return home, having departed France (Lorient, 2nd U-Flot) 15 April and arrived on station off the US East Coast around 3 May. She patrolled there then headed south and was off Florida for a while, then into the Gulf of Mexico and out through the Antilles (in the Caribbean) where she met U-459 for refueling. She departed station after 6 June and arrived at her home base 29 June, 1942.

U-653 refueled from U-459 on 15 June 1942 for her return home. She left France (Brest, 1st U-Flot) on 25 April and arrived on station 300 miles east of Hatteras approximately 10 May. She joined Group PFADFINDER, then went off New York and patrolled out to 300 miles before refueling as indicated here. She departed station around 15/16 June and arrived at home 6 July, 1942.


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