Figure 1.--. |
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After the surface blockade runners were closed down, the possibility of exchanges were submarine runs. Bulky raw material was no longer feasible in meaningful quantoties, but German high tech weapons could be transported. Actually the security of submarine transfer made the Germans more willing to take the risk with their most vsluable secret weapons. The Japanese sent gold in their submarines to help pay the Germans for the technology aquired. As Allied anti-submarine warfare capabilities increased, even submarine trips became increasingly dangerous. Allied Ultra and Maghic decripts enabled the Allies to learn of these efforts and helped intercept them. German, Japanese, and perhaps Italian submarines were involved in these exchanges.
The Monsun Gruppe (Monsoon Group) was the German U-boats operating in the Far East out of Penang in Japanese-occupied Malaya. The Monsun Gruppe theoreticlly was to operate in support of the the Imperial Japanese Navy, which actually had a very large submarine fleet of its own. As it worked out, the Japanese were very suspicous off the German U-boats and provided little support.
The Germans before the War built different vtypes of submarines. There were some lsrger types such as the oceangoing Type IX. There were also mine layers. The submarine force, however, was relstively small with limited resources. There were no purpose built transport submarines. Only after Hitler launched the War and the Royal Navy joined by the U.S. Navy began to shut down freighterv traffic did the Germans conceive of submarine transports and modifying existing type for Japan transports.
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As the Allies began to track down the surace transport blockade runners, German engineers began working on specialized U-boats for service as Japan transport. These were to be unarmed to use all available space for cargo. At the time the Allies had not yet perfected their ASW effort and it seemed feasible to run submarine transports with a fair degree of security. The German design was based on the large Type XB minelayer. The design work began (mid-1942). Plans were to build a substantial fleet. An estimated 30 keels were laid down (by 1943). The various ships were built with several different designs (Types XIX, XX, XXIE and XXIT). The largest could carry as much as 800 tons of cargo. This was, however, just a fraction of what even a small freighter could carry. None of these vessels were completed because of Allied air raids. German shipyards and U-bosts pens were a priority target of the strategic bombing campaign.
Converring existing boats was a faster method of getting the suubmarine exchanges started. Here several conversions were carried out depending on the cargo to be carried. Here the Germans not only wanted to carry out exchanges with the Japanese, but to supply German U-boats operatuing in the Indian Ocean. These ships operated from Pensg in Japsnese-occupied Malaya. For this torpedo carriers were needed rather than general cargo carrierts.
Type VII: Topedo carriers: The Germans converted four Type VIIs U-boats. The Type VII was the standard U-boat used during the War. It was small, but highly manuerable. They were built were built with aoecial configuration so that they could carry up to 41 torpedoes depending on the layout. They were necessary because the German U-boats could not fire Japanese torpedoes. The official designation was Type VIIF. Two of tghe four boats were sent to Penang (U-1059 and U-1062). Both departed Norway (January and February 1944). The U-1059 was sunk en route reflecting steady Allied ASW refinements. The U-1062 did reach Penang and deliver the toroedoes (April 19 1944). The boat began the return voyage
(June 19), but developed engine trouble and had to return to Penang. It started back again (June 19), but was sunk off sunk off the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Narrows (September 30). This bottleneck nin the atantic proved particularly deadly for U-boats.
Type IXDs: Type XI boats were built as large ocean-going boats, but proved unsatisfactory for combat operations because they were not very maneuvarable. Their diesel E-boat engines also had problems. Two fast-running Type IXDs were built as transport boats (U-180 and U-195). They were designated Type IXD1. They were unarmed (except for AA weapons). They could only carry 252 tons of cargo. The U-180 made its first voyage east where it transported Indian National Army Subhas Chandra Bose. The boat rendezvoued with the Japanese submarine I-29, just east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean (April 1943). They exchanged Bose and his aide for two Japanese Navy officers who were to study U-boat building techniques in Germany as well as 2 tons of gold ingots as payment to the Germans. Thre nextv run as a year later. Both boats departed Bprdeaux (August 20 1944). This was just before the port fell to the Allies. The U-180 disappeared in the Bay of Biscay with out a trace (August 23). She is believed to have struck a mine. The U-195 had a sucessful voyage and reached Jakarta in the Japanes occuo\pied Dutch East Indies (DEI) (December 28 1944). We are not sure why the boat went to Jarkarta rather than say Singapore. Apparently it was up to the Japanese to get equipmentt on to the Homne Islands. It delivered optical glass, mercury, torpedoes, electronic equipment such as radars and military weapons, including such as a dismantled V-1 Flying bomb and its pulse jet engine. It prepared for return voyage (January 19 1945). Engine trouble forced it back to Surabaya (anotgher DEI port) for repairs. The boat was still there when the NAZIs surrendered. The Japanese Nsvy seized it and commissioned it the I-506. They surrendered it to the Allies (late-August 1945).
Type XB minelayers: Two of the Type XB minelayers (U-219 and U-234) were converted as Japan trnsports. The XB was a large ssubmarine because it was designed to lay mines. It thus had to have space to carrty large numnbers of mines. The U-219 needed little refitting and left Norway for the Far East (October 22 1943). U.S. Navy aircraft attacked her, but she survived cthe attack and actually shot down an Avenger aircradt. She reached Jakarta (December 11 1944).
She was still in Jarkara when the NAZIs surrendered (May 1945). The Japanese took her over and commissioned her I-505. The Japanese surrendered her to the Allies (late-August 1945). The U-234 is espevially interesting. Her cargo included 260 tons of cargo, among it blueprints for advanced German weapons and equipment disassembled into crates, , including a jet fighter. The most fascinating item was 560 kg of enriched uranium oxide for the Japanese nuclear program. The U-234 sailed from Norway (April 16 1945). NAZI Germany was at the time collapsing. The captain received ceasefire orders (May 4). He sailed cthe boat into Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The U.S. Navy seized the ursnium abd turned it over to the Manhattan Project. remained one of the mysteries of World War Two.
Type IXD2: The last Japan transport was the U-864, a Type IXD2. She sailed from Norway (February 5 1945), but was sunk while still testing reppairs in Norwegian coastal wters (February 9, 1945). She was sunk by a British submarine, the HMS Venturer. The engagement took place underwater. The U-864 is the only know submarine intenionally sunk underwater by anoniother submarine.
We have begun to compile a list of actual Japan transports.
The U-219 was a Type XB boat. It was commnded by KK Walter Burghagen. It departed Norway (October 22, 1943). It reached Jakarta (December 11 1944). When the Germans surrendered, it was seized by the Japanese and commissioned I-505 (May 1945). It was surrendered to the Allies (August 1945).
The U-1062 was a Type VII-F boat. It was commanded by OL Karl Albrecht. It departed Norway (January 3, 1944). It reached Penang (April 19 1944). It sailed for Europe (July 15 1944). It was sunk on the homeward voyage off the Cape Verde Islands (September 30 1944).
The U-1059 was a Type VII-F boast. It was comanded by OL Gunter Leupold. It departed Norway (Feb 12 1944). It was sunk March 19, 1944, off the Cape Verde Islands.
The U-180 was a Type IX-D1 boat. It was commasnded by OL Rolf Riesen. It departed France as the Allies were seizing control of the ports (August 20, 1944) It disappeared shortly vafter in the Bay of Biscay (August 23, 1944). It is believed to have struck a mine and sunk. The British heavily mined the area attempting to restrict U-boast activity.
The U-195 was a Type IX-D1 boat. It was commzanded by OL Friedrich Steinfeldt. It also departed France as the Allies were moving in (August 20, 1944). It arrived Jakarta, Dutch East Indies (December 28, 1944). It remained in the Pacific and when Germany surrenered (May 1945), it was seized by the Japanese and commissioned the I-506. The Japanese surrendered it to the Allies (August 1945).
The U-864 was a Type IX-D2. It was commanded by KK Ralf-Reimar Wolfram. It depareted Norway (February 5, 1945). It was sunk by a British submarine in Norwegian coastal waters (February 9, 1945).
The U-234 was a Type XB boat. It was commanded by KL Johann-Heinrich Fehler. It departed Norway (April 16, 1945). It was the The final transport to Japan. It surrendered at Portsmouth, New Hampshire (May 16 1945).
The cargos and passangers aboard these bparts is interesting becuse it provides an insight as to just what the Axis leaders thought was important at the various stages of the War. Of particulsr interest are Axis submazrines believes to be carrying nuclear material.
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