German Type XIV Milk Cows

In World War II, Germany built the Type XIV submarines, nicknamed “milk cows,” which operated exclusively to resupply other U-boats at sea. Each carried a bakery, a small clinic with a doctor, fresh food, extra fuel, and torpedoes so front-line submarines did not need to return to port. By refueling and rearming U-boats in the Atlantic, the Type XIV allowed German submarines to patrol near U.S. waters for far longer than they otherwise could.

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