Quote:
Originally Posted by gap
I think I have read reports where some U-boats received a small amount of torpedoes from replenishment vessels. I can't say if that was a common practice, but it made sense anyway: what would have been the point of keeping the boats longer at sea, if they couldn't get a fresh load of their main weapon?
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Fuel, Water, Food
I just canīt imagine Torpedo replenishment being done easily at sea. Passing a fuel line and provisions, ok. But trying to lower a really heavy and long torpedo with a crane onto a very small area on a very small vessel, that will be severely affected by even small waves? There is just too much that can go wrong. My impression is that Uīboats returned to port once their torpedoes were all fired.
The replenishment at sea was needed when the journey to the patrol area was very long, or if if took a long time for a boat to find enough targets.
I do not have hard data to back that up, but I never saw anything claiming that Torpedoes were replenished at sea.