Z-ship
Z-Schiff , also known as supply ship , was the name given to merchant ships that were used as submarine suppliers in the Second World War to supply the submarines of the German Navy , which operated in distant sea areas. The Z-ships were subordinate to the supply ship association (TSV), group north, and operationally the naval war command . From 1941 onwards, mainly confiscated foreign merchant ship types were prepared for this purpose. The crews consisted of both civilian seamen and the military. The cargo consisted essentially of torpedoes , ammunition , water, supplies, consumables, spare parts and provisions as well as fuel .
Since the Allied surveillance system was already excellently developed in 1941, German surface ships hardly managed to reach the high seas unnoticed . The first two Z-ships Klara (ex Kota Pinang ) and Python were sunk by British cruisers soon after leaving their base ports . After that, the use of further Z-ships was temporarily refrained from.
The two already completed Z-ships Albireo and Aldabi were renamed Wuri and Wolta and used as target and escort ships for submarine training in the Baltic Sea. Four other Z-ships under renovation - Kertosono , Altair , Bullaren and Nordvart - were gradually completed, but were no longer used for their original purpose and were only used as floating bases . They were initially hidden in Norwegian fjords and gave fuel, ammunition, etc. to submarines, but were hardly in service. Due to the increasing shortage of ships, they were eventually withdrawn and used for other tasks.
The supply of submarines was now carried out by suppliers in Spanish waters and by the supply submarines of type XIV ("dairy cows"), from 1943 in the Indian Ocean also by the supplier Charlotte Schliemann operating from Japan , then by the escort tanker Brake and finally through the stage providers Bogota and Quito .
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km/versorgung/tsv.htm
- ↑ J. Gebauer & E. Krenz, Marine Encyclopedia ; ISBN 3-89488-078-3
literature
- Dieter Jung, Martin Maass, Berndt Wenzel: Tankers and suppliers of the German fleet. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 1981