Some U-boats carried specially designed wooden rowing boats with flotation chambers, but these generally accommodated only three or four men. A dedicated outboard motor was developed for them. Rubber dinghies were poorly suited to heavy provisions packed in sharp-edged crates, which could damage their floors. Rocks and gravel also damaged inflatables during landings. Some boats became unusable before launch because rubbing against their storage containers wore holes in the rubber.
Notable Point · 1:29:39-1:30:31
U-boat landing and supply boats were easily damaged
Limited capacity and fragile rubber floors complicated moving men and stores between submarines and the shore.