U 234

Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the submarine forces of the Kriegsmarine.
Jim S
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U 234

#1

Post by Jim S » 08 Jul 2004, 03:24

A friend gave me a tape of WW2 stuff and in it was a section on a German sub, U 234. If what the tape shows is true it seems to be a really important part of the history of the War that I certainly didn't know. This sub was a large "cargo" type and it left Germany on March 25, 1945 with a disasemled Me 262 jet fighter, some German experts on rockets and air defence, two Japanese men, and most importantly, 50 lead cases of uranium oxide. It was bound for Japan. The tape showed two huge Japanese subs with a range of 30,000 miles that were capable of being used as aircraft launchers. The Japanese had a plan of mixing the uranium with stardard exposives and loading them in bombs on planes which were to take off from the subs and attack San Fransisco. The target date was August 45 and they were ready and waiting for the shipment of uranium. The sub was still at sea when Germany surrendered and received orders to return to base. The captain decided not to and eventually surrendered to an American ship, the USS Sutton. The sub was taken to New Hamshire where the cargo of uranium was discovered and the story was out.
This would have made a big difference to Truman in his decision to use atom bombs, he wouldn't have know whether Japan had already gotten some uranium from another shipment and how close Japan was to hitting us with a "dirty bomb".
Has anyone else heard of this and is it true? If this is what happened, it sort of changes my perspective of the end of the war.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:07, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 and Me 262 - not U-234 and ME 262

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David E M
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#2

Post by David E M » 08 Jul 2004, 07:01

See if you can find 'The secret diary of a U-Boat' by Wolfgang Hirschfeld ISBN 0-75281-116-9.

Hirschfeld was a crewman aboard U 234. or if you want to know anything specific i'll look at my copy for you.
Cheers.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:08, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 - not U234


varjag
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#3

Post by varjag » 08 Jul 2004, 12:37

The 'two huge Japanese submarines' (I-400 class) were I understand earmarked for an attack on the Miraflores and Gatun locks in the Panama Canal - not San Fransisco. I think the coupling to U 234 and uranium oxide is a bit fanciful.

Jim S
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#4

Post by Jim S » 09 Jul 2004, 04:35

The attack on the Panama canal was mentioned in the tape, they said the plan was changed to an attack on the US instead. According to the tape the sub crews had rehearsed and were ready to go, just waiting for the uranuim. Maybe this is all just "fanciful" - I don't know - but it does make a hell of story.
David - thanks, I'll look for that book, maybe the library could get it for me.

ohrdruf
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#5

Post by ohrdruf » 11 Jul 2004, 00:20

It is clear from the declassified documentation available that the material aboard U 234 described in the USN Unloading Manifest as 10 cases "uranium oxide", weight 560 kgs for cases and contents, was not uranium oxide. The German Loading Manifest has never been declassified.

Uranium oxide which has not been bombarded by neutrons in a reactor or sub-reactor can be packed up to 500 kilos in a stout paper bag since common-or-garden uranium oxide emits no gamma radiation, and little other corpuscular radiation.

The material aboard U 234 was transported in lead cylinders lined with gold. There is no indication of the size of each container but the weight of the cylinder would have ruled out the quantity of substance transported being very much. Radioactive isotopes are transported in lead isotope containers for biological shielding and do not need an extra gold lining. Gold has a good cross-section for preventing the fragments of fission, but fission would not occur in a small lead cylinder. The dockyard document advises US authorities that the "uranium oxide" may be handled "like crude TNT", suggesting that it had explosive properties, but that the cylinders should never be opened because the substance "would react" (presumably on contact with air) and "become dangerous." One should not necessarily conclude that "become dangerous" is synonymous with "explode".

There is a British BIOS Intelligence document extant which suggests that a catalyst or reagent was added to a normal explosive in tests at Berlin Döberitz in late 1944. Allegedly it vastly magnified the destructive effects of the conventional explosive by creating a lightning storm at ground level over several kilometres. Such a device would kill principally by suffocation after the initial blast had dissipated. Scientists in Germany had not been able to iron out certain lethal side-effects by the war's end and there is some evidence that there might have been a Luftwaffe mutiny against carrying the material in March 1945. It is interesting that the Me 262 bomber alleged by the German crew to be aboard U 234 has never been admitted by US official sources and did not appear on the USN Unloading List. It is unlikely that the German commander and crew were lying and one assumes that the jet had some special significance in connection with the material.

As regards the substance, possibly the Japanese were prepared to accept the disadvantages in return for ten bombs as powerful as the Hiroshima A-bomb in killing effect. One might legitimately suspect that this was Hitler's "miracle weapon".
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:09, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 and Döberitz - not U-234 and Doberitz

Eugen
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#6

Post by Eugen » 11 Jul 2004, 11:05

http://uboat.net/boats/u234.htm

some info from the largest uboat site on the web.
hope that helps.

ohrdruf
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#7

Post by ohrdruf » 11 Jul 2004, 16:53

Varjag makes reference to a Japanese plan to attack the Panama Canal locks. Although this is slightly off-subject, reference is made to Operation Pelikan, an alleged German plan in late 1943 to close down the Canal involving two Stukas operating from a remote Caribbean location. They were to be brought out by U-boat. The idea was to use HE bombs to destroy the overflow weir. A German engineer who had worked on the construction of the Canal had advised that this would be far more damaging long term than destroying the locks.

Source: Erich Gimpel: Spion für Deutschland, 1956. (Gimpel was the German atom spy arrested in Times Square on New Year's Eve 1944. Sentenced to death, he was reprieved in the amnesty granted to death row prisoners marking the passing of Pres Roosevelt, and served 10 years in Levenworth.)

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Shake-Speer
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#8

Post by Shake-Speer » 15 Jul 2004, 02:37

This story sounds familiar. I have I vague memory of a motion picture about the mission. In the end the Japanese officers kill themselves to avoid being captured. Is there anyone who have an idea of what the movie might be called? It must be at least five years since I saw it so it’s not a new one.

Thanks in advance.

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David E M
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#9

Post by David E M » 15 Jul 2004, 15:55

No I dont know the movie, but yes its a sad and tragic story. The two Japanese decided they could not be captured, so they went around giving their personal posessions away, when the USS Sutton approached they were on their bunks, comatose but still alive, the U-Boat Commander asked the doctor to finish it. he Did. There is more to this obviously, but where do you stop?
Read the book.
cheers.

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Sewer King
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#10

Post by Sewer King » 10 Sep 2004, 05:20

What I am not certain I've read, is what happened to the uranium oxide from U 234 -- that it may have been sent to the US atomic pile at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Wasn't the Japanese I-52 also involved with the uranium oxide shipments in gold-lined cylinders? She was sunk carrying a gold bullion shipment to Germany that a Russian-based salvage expedition was unable to bring up a few years ago. But I do not understand why, among all her valuable cargo, I-52 was carrying natural rubber to Germany since that country led the way with synthetic rubbers.

The I-400-class seaplane sub was en route to its target, the US anchorage at Ulithi, when the war ended. Although the original target was the Panama Canal, Ulithi was felt to be more useful and in line with the small-scale raids against American forward bases to date. I-400 was supposed to coordinate with other seaplane I-boats and kaiten human torpedoes, if possible.

Suppose a German dive-bomber raid against the Panama Canal had reached at least early planning stages. Where could the Stukas have taken off -- or more to the point, what was their range for which a suitable field could be found? And what plans would be made for the crews -- would it have been a one-way flight and then ditch for U-boat rescue? How many planes would have been needed? How could they have been off-loaded safely without port facilities? And so on.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:11, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 - not U-234

ohrdruf
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#11

Post by ohrdruf » 10 Sep 2004, 20:01

Sewer King

There is some very tricky footwork involved on the part of the US authorities to avoid making matters clear about the U 234 cargo.

For example, we know from the official USN Unloading Manifest that there were ten cases of what was described as "uranium oxide" aboard, but which almost certainly was something else (see the thread "Ohrdruf" for more about this subject.) From a recently declassified cable, we know that there were 80 cases of uranium powder unloaded for assay during the first week after the arrival of U 234. These eighty cases do not appear on the Unloading Manifest. Why not?

So when in 1997 Langsdale finally broke his silence immediately after the book "Hirschfeld" was published, which had several chapters on the uranium material, our real question is: "Who Put Him Up to Speaking Now?" and to what extent was what he said Disinformation?


As regards the alleged preparations in late 1943 for a Stuka attack on the Panama Canal, all I know is what I have quoted from Gimpel's book. Whether or not it was feasible operationally remains something to be solved by those who have an interest.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:12, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 - not U-234


Simon Gunson
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#13

Post by Simon Gunson » 02 Apr 2005, 03:59

When she left Germany U 234 was said to have had 240 tons of cargo but the USN manifest compiled at Portsmouth NH lists 70 tons less cargo. One explanation is that between her surrender at sea on 14 may 1945 and her arrival at Portsmouth on 17 May she was slipped into a shipyard drydock at south Portland Maine. Colorado environmental scientist Dr Velma Hunt who conducted an environmental audit of the Portland docks uncovered this claim. Given the huge tidal rise at Maine, it is quite feasible that her mine shafts were emptied of cargo at Portland. The Uranium listed at Portsmouth appears to have come from the keel ducts and not the mine shafts. Also the two Me 262 aircraft which remain unaccounted must have also been removed at Portland.

Germany had gaseous centrifuge machines built by Degaussa in 1944 to enrich uranium. Uranium oxide was mixed with flouric acid to form uranium-hexaflouride gas. U 235 was sluced from the spinning gases.
The process known as the harteck process was developed at Kiel in 1942.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:14, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234, U 235 and Me 262 - not U-234, U-235 and Me-262

ohrdruf
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#14

Post by ohrdruf » 02 Apr 2005, 17:36

Senior crew member Wolfgang Hirschfeld stated that after U 234 surrendered to the USN light cruiser "Sutton" on 14 May 1945, the two vessels proceeded in company together to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, arriving on 19 May 1945 and not 17th. There was no intermediate stop to unload anything no matter how favourable the tide.

In separate publications and correspondence with this writer, Commander Fehler and senior radioman Hirschfeld both stated that there was only one Me 262 jet aircraft aboard U 234. The aircraft does not appear in the USN Unloading Manifest which is, however, short of the departure weight.

There were two consignments of "uranium".

80 cases of "U-powder" came off the boat at Portsmouth during the third week of May 1945 and was sent for assay, the last we hear of it. These were probably the estimated fifty or so battery-sized containers seen loaded by Hirschfeld at Kiel.

The ten cylinders of alleged "uranium oxide" were unloaded from the mineshafts at Portsmouth on or about 24 July 1945.

The argument advanced by Vilma Hunt does not accord with the USN version of the U 234 voyage nor that of Hirschfeld and Fehler. The fabrication of history based on the proposition that everybody involved at the time must be lying does not bring us very far forward in the search for the real facts of the affair.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:15, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 - not U-234

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Kim Sung
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#15

Post by Kim Sung » 30 Apr 2006, 15:26

The two Japanese officers (Lt. Col. 庄司元三 and Lt. Col. 友永英夫) in U 234 were imprisoned by their German fellows because they insisted U 234 should go to Japan following the original plan. The two Japanese committed suicide in the end, but it's not clear whether they wanted honorable death or Germans forced them to kill themselves.

http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/c ... 9979794100
戦争の現実とその不幸はいかに語り継がれるべきか。戦後60年を期に本書を世に問う。
第二次世界大戦も終りに近づいた1945年3月24日、北ドイツのキール軍港からUボート234号(ドイツの潜水艦、以下U 234)が、極秘裡に日本へ向った。乗務員のほか12名の便乗員と、積載限度いっぱいの独軍機密兵器と設計図を乗せ、その中に560キロのウランが秘匿されていた。便乗者12名のうち2名は日本海軍技術将校。航空機エンジンの権威庄司元三技術中佐41歳と潜水艦設計の第一人者友永英夫技術中佐36歳、ともに東京帝国大学工学部出身の俊英だったが、彼らは末期的戦況打開のために新兵器開発を祖国から託され帰国を命じられていた。また、ヒトラー暗殺計画グループの一員と疑われていた独空軍大将ウーリッヒ・ケスラーや、日本の兵器開発に協力するための、選り抜きの独海軍技術将校、それに民間技術者たちも乗っていた。6度の危機を克服したU 234が、北大西洋を南下中の5月8日、ドイツ降伏を受信した。「命令通り日本へ」と迫る日本海軍将校、「中立国へ」と主張するケスラー大将、「英軍より米軍へ投降を」と言い立てる乗務員たち。そして弱冠25歳のフェラー艦長の苦悩。艦の破壊を怖れたフェラー艦長は、日本軍将校を監禁。英軍機をふり切ったU 234が米海軍に投降を決断するや、ふたりの日本人将校は遺書を遺して自決。大西洋に水葬されたふたりの魂は、その後独海軍の手によってキールのUボート記念碑内に詞と共に顕彰され、今も語り継がれている。本作品は、長年集めた新資料と証言を基に、潜水艦設計に命を捧げた友永英夫を通して、昭和の日本海軍潜水艦やU 234の苛酷な運命と秘話を明かす。U234のウランはどこへ。便乗者や乗務員たちのその後は。夫を父を失った遺族たちの苦難の戦後史を加え、戦いのむなしさを浮き彫りにする。
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 31 Oct 2012, 16:18, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Correct is U 234 - not U-234

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