Supply ships

[GoldenRivet]

This is one aspect of the history of the U-boat war that has always confused me when it relates to GWX. Most of the information in the GWX manual deals with the discovery and subsequent attacks against the supply network, but deals little information on the politics or practices related to supply ships.

In GWX, supply ships are interned freighters held in neutral ports... im pretty sure this was the case in real life.

but here is what confuses me;

How would the U-boats get away with driving right into a neutral port and docking with one of these supply boats?

Where did spain stand with regards to ships like Bessel and Max Albrecht taking up station in their own neutral spanish ports?

why would spain be against this or for it?

How did the ships get there in the first place?

would it not be prudent of the U-Boats to be discreet when docking with such resupply boats? for example - moving in under cover of darkness or submerged?

furthermore, free commerce must have taken place between allied nations and spain.

would British merchant ships not notice the nazi steamer moored in a spanish port with a U-boat pulled aside it?

Im familiar with the concept of resupply ships as they related to the U-boats... but the above aspects just didnt make sense to me.

so in summation:

How did those boats get stuck in the spanish ports?

how did they get the supplies with which to resupply the U-boats?

What was the stance of spain during all of this?

did resupply operations within neutral ports require some sort of descretion and secrecy?

would the Spanish not intern the U-boat as well?

any info would be great