Moro”: The Resupply of German Submarines in Spain, 1939—1942

Central European History

Volumn 3, Issue 3, 1970, Pages 256-284

  Bureau, Charles B ^a  

^a San Jose stated College ^*  (United States)

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[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 84972415905     PISSN: 00089389     EISSN: 15691616     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0008938900015272     Document Type: Article

References (11)

1. New York Times, Sept4,1950, p 16 Captain (Ret.) Byron SAnderson, the United States Naval Attache, 1941-42, expressed the same opinion in an interview with the writer, September 1969
2. This cursory introduction is founded upon discussions and correspondence with the late Generalmajor aDWalter Bruns, the late Generaladmiral Otto Schniewind, and Generaladmiral aDEric BohmFor a useful survey of this period see DCWatt, “German Strategic Planning and Spain, 193 8-1939,” The Army Quarterly, LXXX, No2 (July 1960), 220-27A detailed explanation is MMerkes, Die deutsche Politik gegeniiber dem Spanischen Biirgerkrieg 1936-1939 (Bonn, 1961)
3. United States, Department of State, Documents on German Foreign Policy, 1918-1945, Series D (1937-1945), m, Germany and the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 (Washington, 1950), p 747, Doc664.
4. Spanish-German relations at this time were very complexIn the event of a general European war before he could win his own campaign, Franco faced the likelihood that the Iberian Peninsula would become an operational theater With Italian and German troops in residence the French and possibly the British, via Portugal, might directly intervene in the conflict Hitler, on the other hand, as an arch-opportunist, probably had no idea about the immediate future but extemporized as he moved forwardWithout a detailed operational plan he would not, indeed could not, tell Franco anythingFor an excellent consideration of this relationship see Donald SDetwiler, Hitler, Franco und Gibraltar, Die Frage des spanischen Eintritts in den Zweiten Weltkrieg (Wiesbaden, 1962), pp 8–14.
5. Interview with Generalmajor aDWalter Brans, German Military Attache in Spain, 1939-41, May 1965See Watt, optit., p 225 An earlier Spanish military mission under General Antonio Aranda Mata had not accomplished any more than a much photographed, inconsequential encounter with Hitler.
6. Leaving Kiel on Apr25, 1915, Lieutenant Commander Otto Hersing took his submarine around Scotland and moved south for the MediterraneanHe was to pick up fuel, procured by a secret agent, off Cape FinisterreOn May 3 he took on fuel and provisions from the steamer, Marzela, in the Cape Cee area When Hersing tested the newly acquired fuel he discovered that it was too heavy and would not burn properlyHersing continued onward and just made safety in Cattaro Bay“Kriegstagebuch SMUnterseeboote 'U 21' fur die Zeit vom 16April bis 15May 1915.” MrHarry Rilley in the Naval History Office searched out the relevant entries in this documentA less useful source is Otto Hersing, U 21 rettet die Dardanellen (Zurich: Amalthen-Verlag, 1932), pp 43-44
7. See Deutsche Botschaft Der Marineattache B.Nr88 /g., Oct10, 1939A small, preliminary effort in money manipulation was a complete failureAusland-Direktion an das O.K.M., Geheim, Oct17, 1939Meyer-Dohner personally agreed with these objections but thought that the desired action could only be carried through by a man of March's character In all events the latter figure did not enter into the submarine fuel question again That German fears were correct may be seen in Donald McLachlan, Room 59: A Study in Naval Intelligence (New York, 1968), pp 203-204.
8. Fernschreiben MB2 0780 1820 Uhr, Feb23, 1940On Feb18 the U 53 discovered the Banderas wallowing behind an Allied convoy and, assuming that she belonged to the group, torpedoed herSee Jiirgen Rohwer, Die U-Boot-Erfolge der Achsenmdchte 1939— 1945 (Munich, 1968), p 14.
9. See SWRoskill, The War at Sea, igjg-ig45, i: The Defensive (London, 1954), p 348 For the subsequent successes of the various submarines consult the relevant pages in Rohwer
10. Letter from Korvettenkapitan a DJost Metzler, Sept22, 1966; letter from Korvettenkapitan aDOtto Salmon, Oct19, 1966; letter from Korvettenkapitan aDOtto Schulz, Nov29, 1966; letter from Kapitan zur See aDKarl-Friedrich Merten, Nov17, 1969A version of the refueling, albeit without mentioning the specific harbor, is in Jost Metzler, The Laughing Cow: A U-Boat Captain s Story (London, 1955),pp 176-179
11. The Spanish provided additional support to the German Navy but it never went beyond searching or caring for submarine survivors or allowing the continuance of observation posts off Gibraltar Letter from Harms Parsch, May 14, 1969, Kriegstagebuch der Marineattache Madrid, 1942-1944.