U-Boat Refueling

U-129, U-437, U-379, U-572, U-752

by Chuck Myles


Thanks to CHUCK MYLES (1068-1989) for this 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 or a surface ship - any way at all that a U-Boat took on fuel outside their home base, CHUCK put it on this list. Here we learn that:

SIRENA Class Italian Submarine U-129 departed Lorient (2nd U-Boot-Flotille) on 20 May, 1942 and arrived on station in the Antilles around 6 June. She patrolled there for a while, then into the Gulf of Campeche south of Cuba, then back to the Antilles where she took on fuel from U-463 over 30/31 July and left station, arriving Lorient on 21 August, 1942.

U-437 took on fuel from U-461 for the second time on this voyage; date is unknown. She probably topped off her tanks at the end of her patrol before leaving station in the Antilles for her return voyage to homeport in La Rochelle; the 6th U-Boot-Flotille. She arrived her homeport on 27 June, 1942.

U-379 departed her homeport, the (1st U-Boot-Flotille at Brest, on 26 June, 1942 and joined GROUP WOLF in mid-July where she pursued an unidentified convoy without success, patrolled with that group for a while when they engaged Convoy ON.113. Several boats in this group had successes, but U-379 did not.

U-379 took on fuel from U-461 about 2 August, then departed and engaged Convoy SC.94 with results on both sides of the ledger. There were several U-Boats firing at similar targets, bit it appears U-379 sank the 6,367 ton American steamer KAIMOKU and the 2,537 ton British steamer ANNEBERG with one spread but before she could send a message to OKM, she was attacked by the RN corvette HMS DIANTHUS & sunk with the loss of 40 of her crew.

U-572 departed her French base on 30 June, 1942 and joined Group HAI (it means SHARK), detailed for the area of Freetown, West Africa and they formed this group approx. 6 July. They engaged Convoy OS.33 and while many of the boats in this Group had successes, U-572 did not.

U-572 made a southerly sweep between 20 and 25 degrees west as far as Dakar, operated west of Freetown where she took on fuel on about 4 Aug. from U-116 before leaving station around 24 August for her return voyage. She arrived her French port on 3 Sep., 1942.

U-752 departed her base, the 3rd U-Boot-Flotille at La Rochelle on 25 June, 1942 and joined Group HAI approximately 6 July. The group engaged Convoy OS.33 but U-752 had no successes. Group HAI took a southerly sweep between 20 and 25 degrees west as far as Dakar, then the group dispersed and on 23 July, U-752 sank the 5,254 ton British steamer GARMULA and on 27 July, she sank the 4,003 ton Norwegian steamer LEIKANGER.

U-752 took on fuel from U-116 about 4 August for her return voyage to La Rochelle, where she arrived on 4 September, 1942.


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© Copyright 1995 by Harry Cooper, Sharkhunters International, Inc.
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