A vessel named Bessel

[cj95]

heh.

Just wondering, in real life did the resupply ship in Vigo actually provide extra torpedoes?

If so, where did they get them from?

Not exactly an easy thing to sneak through customs.


"Honestly senor, its a 20 foot long kielbasa sausage....."

[Torplexed]

When ships like the Bessel and the Max Albrecht were 'interned' they were already fully laden with supplies, fuel and torpedoes. The Spanish Franco regime probably knew they were aboard, but winked at it the same way they winked at the clandestine resupply operations in the Canary Islands.

[joegrundman]

I've pondered this question myself, since even arriving fully laden, they would run out of supplies quickly.

On the other hand, the supply ships could purchase food and fuel directly from the Spanish, with money being sent overland from France for the job, and it's possible that torpedoes were also being "allowed" to be smuggled across.

After all Franco had some debts towards Germany

[Torplexed]

The odd torpedo(s) could also have been off-loaded onto these ships by U-Boats aborting from their patrols with battle damage or mechanical problems.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

The odd torpedo(s) could also have been off-loaded onto these ships by U-Boats aborting from their patrols with battle damage or mechanical problems.

Good point. "You're coming home and have supplies left, make a little stop at Vigo..."

Also the supply ships might have been like the milch cows, only giving out a couple for the trip home (or the Gibraltar transit).

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Good point. "You're coming home and have supplies left, make a little stop at Vigo..."
Also the supply ships might have been like the milch cows, only giving out a couple for the trip home (or the Gibraltar transit).

The only thing that gives me pause about that guess is not knowing what sort of difficulties there are in hoisting an unexpended torpedo out of a sub as compared to putting it in.

From what I've read about the Max Albrecht based in El Ferrol, Spain it seems she was primarily used to top up the fuel tanks of U-Boats that were a little short on fuel coming back in from distant cross-Atlantic patrols. She may have never had much need for spare torpedoes.

I suppose it possible torpedoes could have sunk across the border. Maybe in a dismantled form given how heavy they are. Spain's position in the war was rather shady at times. General Franco lent Hitler a division of volunteer Spanish soldiers for the invasion of Russia and even allowed Italian planes to occasionally refuel at Spanish airbases. However, he refused to join the conflict directly perhaps guessing correctly that the scales would eventually tip against the Axis.

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Good point. "You're coming home and have supplies left, make a little stop at Vigo..."

Also the supply ships might have been like the milch cows, only giving out a couple for the trip home (or the Gibraltar transit).

this would be the most likley scenario.

U-boats returning from mission would likely transfer torpedoes under cover of darkness aboard the supply ships, then head for ports in france.

also, when you go into resupply in GWX you get a full load out of torpedoes... in real life you probably only got one or two.