U-Boat Refueling

by Chuck Myles


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-84 refueled from U-459 on 27 June, 1942. She departed her French base (the 1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest) on 10 June, and joined Group Endrass off Gibraltar around the 12th of June. CONVOY HG.84 was engaged to the west of Spain, then U-84 took on fuel as indicated for her trip to the American east coast where she patrolled off the Florida Straits to catch the shipping in the waters between Florida and the Bahamas, then she shifted her patrol area to the north of Cuba, then went around to patrol the west coast of Florida and through the Antilles until she left station around 25 or 26 July for her return voyage. She arrived her homeport on 13 August.

U-437 refueled from U-459 on 27 June, 1942. She departed her French base (the 6th U-Boot-Flotille at St. Nazaire) on 6 June and joined Group Endrass off Gibraltar around the 12th of June. CONVOY HG.84 was engaged to the west of Spain, then U-437 took on fuel as indicated for her voyage to her new patrol area in the Antilles, to the south of Cuba, then to the north of the Antilles.

U-437 took on fuel a second time during this voyage from U-461 around the time she left her patrol area (28 July) for her return to her homeport. She arrived on 12 August.

U-575 refueled from U-459 on 27 June, 1942. She departed her French base (the 1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest) on 10 June and joined Group Endrass off Gibraltar around the 12th of June. CONVOY HG.84 was engaged to the west of Spain, then U-575 refueled as indicated for her voyage to her new patrol area in the Antilles, then she patrolled off Trinidad and left station around 20 July for her return trip. She arrived on 7 August.

U-134 refueled from U-459 on 27 June, 1942. She departed her French base (the 3rd U-Boot-Flotille at La Rochelle) on 11 June and joined Group Endrass off Gibraltar and engaged CONVOY HG.84 to the west of Spain. After taking on fuel as shown, U-134 departed for her patrol off the American east coast, first in the Cape Hatteras area then down to the Florida east coast around into the Gulf of Mexico, southward to Cuba, along the northern edge of the Antilles until departing for home 12 August, and she arrived 1 Sept.

U-571 took on fuel from U-459 on 27 June, 1942. She departed her French base (the 3rd U-Boot-Flotille at La Rochelle) on 11 June and joined Group Endrass off Gibraltar and engaged CONVOY HG.84 to the west of Spain. After taking on fuel as shown, she departed for her patrol area off the American east coast to the SE of Cape Hatteras, then down the Florida coast, into the Gulf of Mexico and through the Greater Antilles until leaving station 26 July for her return to homeport, where she arrived 7 August.

U-576 took on fuel from U-460 on 5 July, 1942. She departed her French base (the 7th U-Boot-Flotille at St. Nazaire) on 16 June. She arrived on station off the U.S. east coast, took on fuel as indicated, then patrolled off Cape Hatteras but was sunk there on 15 July, 1942, reportedly by USN aircraft of VS.9

U-332 took on fuel from U-461 in early July, 1942 off the American east coast. She departed her French base (the 3rd U-Boot-Flotille at La Rochelle) on 24 May and arrived off the U.S. east coast around 7 June. She was 300 miles off the New York coast, then went down to patrol off Cape Hatteras where she took on fuel and departed her station 8 July. She arrived on 1 August.

U-126 took on fuel from U-460 around 8 July, 1942. She departed her French base (the 2nd U-Boot-Flotille at Lorient) on 24 April en route to the north coast of Brazil. She engaged CONVOY SL.109, then headed north to Cape St. Roque, then northwest along the Brazilian coast to the Antilles where she patrolled off Aruba (where there were many refineries) then off Trinidad, back through the Antilles to refuel as shown, for her return voyage. She left station after taking on fuel, & arrived her homeport on 25 July.

U-584 took on fuel from U-460 on 8 July, 1942. She departed her French base (the 1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest) on 25 May and arrived off the U.S. east coast around 6 June and he first action was the land four agents on the Florida coast. These were put ashore 17 June at Ponte Vedra Beach, south of Jacksonville and, along with the four put ashore a few days earlier at Ammaganset (Long Island, New York) from U-202, made up Operation 'PASTORIUS' and their goal was to disrupt aluminum production and aircraft building.

After dropping off the four agents, U-584 patrolled between Cape Hatteras and New York and refueled as shown prior to her homeward voyage. She arrived her homeport on 22 July.

U-202 took on fuel from U-460 on 8 July, 1942. She departed her French base (the 1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest) on 27 May and arrived off the U.S. east coast where she landed the four agents of Operation 'PASTORIUS' on 13 June (see above), then patrolled off New York to Cape Hatteras. She refueled as indicated for her return voyage, and arrived her homeport 25 July.

(continued in KTB #111)


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