German Type XIV submarine
| Class overview | |
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| Builders: |
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| Operators: |
 Kriegsmarine
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| Built: | 1940–1943 |
| In commission: | 1941–1944 |
| Building: | 13 |
| Planned: | 24 |
| Completed: | 10 |
| Cancelled: | 14 |
| Lost: | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Ocean-going submarine tanker |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: |
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| Beam: |
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| Height: | 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in) |
| Draught: | 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 240 m (790 ft) |
| Complement: | 6 officers and 47 enlisted |
| Armament: |
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The Type XIV U-boat was a modification of the Type IXD, designed to resupply other U-boats. They were nicknamed "Milchkuh/Milchkühe (pl.)" (milk cows). Due to its large size, the Type XIV could resupply other boats with 613 t (603 long tons) of fuel, 13 t (13 long tons) of motor oil, four torpedoes, and fresh food that was preserved in refrigerator units. In addition, the boats were equipped with bakeries, in order to provide the luxury of fresh bread for crews being resupplied. They had no torpedo tubes or deck guns, only anti-aircraft guns.
In 1942, the milk cows allowed the smaller Type VIIC boats to raid the American coast during the "Second Happy Time" of the Battle of the Atlantic. The milk cows were priority targets for Allied forces, as sinking one milk cow would effectively curtail the operations of several regular U-Boats and force them to return home for supplies. Ultra intercepts provided information concerning sailing and routing, and this, coupled with improved Allied radar and air coverage in the North Atlantic, eliminated most of them during 1943. By the end of the war all ten had been sunk. Milk cow duty was especially hazardous; 289 sailors were killed out of an estimated complement of 530–576 men.
German Type XIV submarines were shortened versions of the Type IXDs they were based on. The boats had a displacement of 1,688 tonnes (1,661 long tons) when at the surface and 1,932 tonnes (1,901 long tons) while submerged. The U-boats had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 48.51 m (159 ft 2 in), a beam of 9.35 m (30 ft 8 in), a height of 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in), and a draught of 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in). The submarines were powered by two Germaniawerft supercharged four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 2,800–3,200 metric horsepower (2,060–2,350 kW; 2,760–3,160 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/38-8 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 750 metric horsepower (550 kW; 740 shp) for use while submerged. They had two shafts and two propellers. The boats were capable of operating at depths of up to 240 metres (790 ft).
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