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Base either solid brass or wooden pedestals

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The first of the wartime designs to reach production, the Type XIV U-boats were supply submarines designed from the outset as such and were intended to replace the modified Type IXd attack U-boats and the converted Type Xb minelayer U-boats that had been carrying the burden of replenishing U-boats at sea once the German surface navy could no longer safely do so. As such, the submarine (known as "Milchkuh" or "Milk Cow") was designed with a shorter but deeper hull and an increased capacity for external fuel bunkerage. Based on the successful Type VIIf design, the Type XIV could carry 4 spare torpedoes and over 400 tons of diesel fuel.

Ten Type XIV U-boats entered service from July 1941 to March 1943. The Type XIV had poor maneuverability and was slow to dive but was successful initially - until the combined efforts of Allied code breaking and air search led to the eventual loss of all 10 of the boats that had been launched (U-459 to U-464 and U-487 to U-490), with 3 of the boats being sunk in a six day period in July 1943. Construction that was occurring on three further Type XIV U-boats was halted (U-491 to  U-493) and they were broken up on the slipways in August 1943; while orders for another 11 were cancelled. At the same time a project for a larger supply submarine - the Type XX - was also cancelled.