U-Boat Refueling

WWII German Submarines

by Chuck Miles (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 this list.

U-135 refueled from U-459 over the night of 16/17 June 1942 for her return home. She departed her French base (7th U-BootFlotille at St. Nazaire) on 26 April 1942. She arrived on station around 10 May, east of New York. She joined Group PFADFINDER, then patrolled off Cape Hatteras and eastwards, where she took on fuel as indicated.She departed station approximately 17 June 1942 and arrived her homeport on 5 July, 1942.

U-161 refueled from U-461 in middle to late June 1942. She departed France (the 2nd U-Boatflotille at Lorient) on 28 April 1942. She arrived on station approximately 8 April and engaged CONVOY SL.109, then headed for the north coast of Brazil and patrolled north of Cape St. Roque, then headed northwest off the Guiana coast and refueled as indicated. She patrolled off Panama, then to the north of the Bahamas.

U-161 refueled for her trip home from U-462 on 17 July 1942. She departed station immediately after refueling and returned to homebase on 7 August 1942.

U-432 refueled from U-459 on 17 June 1942. She departed France (3rd U-Bootflotille at La Rochelle) on 30 April 1942. She arrived on station approximately 12 May south of Nova Scotia where she joined Group PFADFINDER, then went to the Gulf of Maine and thence on to Cape Sable where she refueled as indicated. She soon left station for France and arrived 2 July 9142.

U-406 refueled for the second time on this patrol, from U-460 in Grid Square BD over the night of 19/20 June 1942 for her return voyage. She arrived at her homeport (7th U-Bootflotille at St. Nazaire) on 1 July 1942.

U-96 refueled for the second time on this patrol, from U-460 in Grid Square BD over the night of 19/20 June 1942 for her return voyage. She arrived her homeport (7th U-Bootflotille at St. Nazaire) on 1 July 1942.

U-107 refueled from U-459 on 22 June 1942. She departed France (2nd U-Bootflotille at Lorient) on 21 April 1942. She arrived on station off the US East Coast approximately 11 April 1942 where she patrolled off Cape Hatteras then down to the Florida coast, across to the Antilles. She then went into the slot between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula, then returned to hunt near Cuba, went back to the Antilles to refuel and began her voyage home. She arrived her homeport on 11 July 1942.

U-502 refueled from U-459 on 22 June 1942. She departed France (2nd U-Bootflotille at Lorient) on 22 April 1942 and arrived on station in the Antilles approximately 8 April 1942. She then moved to Aruba to hunt tankers departing the Lago Refinery on that island, then patrolled in the eastern Caribbean off Trinidad, then returned to the Antilles to refuel. She then headed for her homeport but did not make it - she was sunk on 5 July 1942 in the Bay of Biscay with all hands (52 men) lost.

U-132 refueled from U-460 on 22 June 1942 near the Azores. She departed her French base (3rd U-Bootflotille at La Rochelle) on 10 June 1942 and became part of Group ENDRASS operating in the Gibraltar area where she arrived on station approximately 12 June 1942. She engaged CONVOY HG.84 west of Spain, then she went to refuel as shown. After taking on fuel, U-132 went across the Atlantic to the St. Lawrence area, then south of Nova Scotia and engaged CONVOY ON.113 successfully then left station approximately 3 August for her return voyage. She arrived her homeport 16 August 1942.

U-89 refueled from U-460 on 22 June 1942 near the Azores. She departed her homeport (9th U-Bootflotille at Brest) on 6 June 1942 as part of Group ENDRASS in the Gibraltar area. She arrived on station approximately 12 June 42, then engaged CONVOY HG.84 to the west of Spain then went to the refueling area as indicated. She then crossed the Atlantic to patrol off the US East Coast south of New York, then back up to the Nova Scotia area, then back south again before departing for home approximately 5 August. She arrived homeport on 21 August 1942.

U-159 refueled from an unknown source over the night of 23/24 June 1942 in the Antilles. This was probably from U-459 but possibly could have been U-460. She departed her French base on 14 May 1942 and headed for the north coast of Brazil. She engaged an unidentified convoy over 21/22 June then proceeded on her patrol into the Antilles, the eastern Caribbean, the western Caribbean (primarily the area around Panama), then she went through the Antilles to refuel as indicated for her return voyage. She returned to her homeport on 13 July 1942.

U-203 took on fresh fuel from U-459 on 24 June 1942 after departing her French base (1st U-BootFlotille at Brest) on 3 June 1942 for the Antilles where she refueled soon after arriving. She patrolled in the eastern Caribbean until she left station approximately 12 July, arriving homeport on 29 July 1942.


Back to KTB #109 Table of Contents
Back to KTB List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1995 by Harry Cooper, Sharkhunters International, Inc.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles articles are available at http://www.magweb.com
Join Sharkhunters International, Inc.: PO Box 1539, Hernando, FL 34442, ph: 352-637-2917, fax: 352-637-6289, www.sharkhunters.com