Concrete Fuel Tank Zoutelande

The wreck of P.B. 137, one of 200 concrete Petrol Barges built at West India Docks, London, by Wates between 1943 and 1944.
These Petrol Barges were built to carry fuel to support the invasion at Normandy as part of the ‘Overlord’ plan, but were not used, as alternative means had been developed to deliver the fuel required. The Petrol Barges had also proved to be ‘fragile’ during a training exercise in Summer 1943 known as ‘Exercise Jantzen’ and were not trusted.
25.6 metres long by 6.86 metres beam, with a loaded draught of 2.46 metres, the Petrol Barges were identical in dimensions to the 295 Concrete Open Barges, of Mouchel design, that had been built in UK during World War II, indeed the first prototype, P.B. 1 was an adaptation of F.B. 82, built by Wates at Barrow-in-Furness . The fuel capacity was approximately 180 tons, carried in three tanks ‘midships’.
The Royal Netherlands Navy, based in London during World War II, acquired 16 of these Petrol Barges in April and May 1945.
It is likely that P.B. 137 was wrecked whilst being towed to Westkapelle.

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Source

• Text: Richard Lewis
• Photos: Mia van den Berg