U-Boat Refueling

U-704, U-597, U-71, U-552

by Chuck Myles


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

U-704 took on fuel from U-461 about 29 July, 1942. She had departed her home port (the 7th U-BootFlotille at St. Nazaire) on 30 June. She joined GROUP WOLF in the North Atlantic and pursued an unidentified convoy with no results. Later, U-704 attacked CONVOY ON.113, took on fuel as indicated, then joined GROUP STEINBRINK, attacking CONVOY ON.115; then later attacked CONVOY SC.94 where U-704 suffered damage. She withdrew from the battlefield and arrived her home port on 16 August, 1942.

After her fifth and final FEINDFAHRT (War Patrol), U-704 went into the Baltic and became a schulboot (training boat) at Pillau with the 23rd and 21st U-BootFlotille.

U-597 took on fuel from U-461 around 19 July, 1942. She departed her homeport (the 1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest) on 27 June and joined GROUP WOLF in the North Atlantic. They chased an unidentified convoy with no results, then attacked CONVOY ON.113. U-597 then took on fuel as indicated and later joined GROUP STEINBRINK where they attacked CONVOY ON.115 and later CONVOY SC.94. U-597 was damaged and departed the battlefield, arriving her homeport on 16 August.

U-71 refueled from U-461 about 29 July, 1942. She departed her homeport (the 7th U-Boot-Flotille at St. Nazaire) on 4 July and joined GROUP WOLF in the North Atlantic, where they pursued an unidentified convoy with no results. They encountered CONVOY ON.113, then took on fuel as indicated and attacked CONVOY ON.115 and CONVOY SC.94. She departed her station about 12 August; returned to her homeport on 15 August.

U-552 (the RED DEVIL BOOT under ERICH TOPP 118-LIFE-1985) took fuel from U-461 approx 29 July, 1942. She left her homeport (the 7th U-Boot-Flotille at St. Nazaire) on 4 July and joined GROUP WOLF in the North Atlantic where they pursued an unidentified convoy with no results. They attacked CONVOY ON.113 then took on fuel as indicated, and joined GROUP STEINBRINK where they attacked CONVOY ON.115. U-552 left station around 6 August and returned to France on 13 August, 1942.


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