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During the Second World War, the German Kriegsmarine deployed a unique and vital strategic asset: the "milk cows". These specially adapted submarine tankers were designed to refuel U-boats at sea, significantly extending their operational range and duration. For the German Navy, they were the linchpin of their maritime campaign; for the Allies, they were a primary target.
This gripping narrative follows the milk cows from their initial successes to their tragic demise. Operating with stealth in the vast Atlantic, these vessels eventually faced a terrifying reality. As Allied code-breakers unravelled German ciphers, the tankers were trapped. Forced to remain stationary on the surface during lengthy refuelling procedures, they became sitting ducks for Allied air and sea power. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, secret intelligence reports, and exhaustive research, this definitive account captures the horror, stoicism, and inevitable carnage faced by the crews. It remains the only comprehensive study of this little-known, critical aspect of the U-boat war—a harrowing testament to the men who served in the most vulnerable ships of the conflict.
