by Simon Gunson on 18 Jan 2013 02:40
Wow Ibrahim, great website you created there. I don't know if this summary replicates wht you already know but since I've already compiled some data I will post it anyway.
I have a video clip somewhere of a Focke Archelis being flown off U 862 which I might be able to email you and also a photo of U-862 from a Japanese patrol boat as she sailed into Penang if that interests you?
The first U-boat to meet with Japanese forces in the Indian Ocean was U 180 in 1943 when the Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose was handed over to the Japanese, but U 180 returned to Europe without reaching land.
Ironically the first German submarine to visit Singapore was in fact an Italian transport submarine in German service UIT-23 which voyaged from Sebang to Singapore sometime between July and August 1943.It was joined in August at Singapore by another former Italian boat UIT 25. The ex-Italian boats played a vital role shuttling cargo from the fighting U-boats which arrived at Penang etc to Japan.
They were harder for the Allies to intercept because their signals discipline was not as lax or predictable as the Japanese vessels. Japanese submarines were for example required to surface and report to Tokyo at midday. Unfortunately the Japanese did broadcast the expected movements of German units to Japanese controlled ports which led to several ambushes by Allied subs. UIT 24 and UIT 25 however continued a cargo shuttle from Singapore to Japan throughout the remainder of the war, 1943 - 45. U 219, U 195 and U 862 were interned by the Japanese at Selatar in 1945 when Germany surrendered.
Singapore was also a departure port for some Japanese submarines to France and arrival point for fewer which returned. Possibly some surface blockade runners may have stopped at Singapore too but these voyages tapered off through 1943.
The Germans provided 3 rotor Enigma machines to the Japanese for a joint communications cipher net, but all except 30 machines were lost in the I-29 sinking. The machines which survived were offloaded at Singapore. Their actual use is questionable. The Germans operated a radio base at Penang for U-Flotte 33 however operational orders still came from BdU Germany, not Penang.
In 1943:
UIT 24 a Romelo class under KL Pahis reached Sabang 11 Jul 1943
UIT 23 a Romelo class IXC/40 under OL Streigler reached Sabang ? Jul 1943
U 511 a type IXC under KLt Schneewind reached Penang 21 July 1943
U 178 a type IXD2 under KK Dommes reached Penang 29 Aug 1943
UIT 25 a Romelo Class under OL Spliedt reached Singapore 30 Aug 1943
U 188 a type IXC/40 under KL Lüdden reached Penang 31 Oct 1943
U 183 a type IXC/40 under KL Schäfer reached Penang 2 Nov 1943
U 168 a type IXC/40 under KL Pich reached Penang 11 Nov 1943
U 532 a type IXC/40 under FK Junker reached Penang 12 Nov 1943
Sunk en-route: U 200, U 509, U 514, U 506, U 533, U 516, U 847, U 848, U 849, U 850, U 172.
In 1944:
U 510 a type IXC under KL Eick reached Penang 5 Apr 1944
U 1062 a type VII F under OL Albrecht (torpedo resupply) reached Penang 19 Apr 1944
U 843 a type IXC/40 under KL Leupold reached Penang 5 Apr 1944
U 181 a type IXD2 under KzS Freiwald reached Penang 8 Aug 1944
U 196 a type IXD2 under KK Kentrat reached Penang 10 Aug 1944
U 537 a type IXC40 under KL Schrewe reached Jakarta 2 Aug 1944
U 861 a type IXD2 under KK Osten reached Penang 22 Sep 1944
U 862 a type IXD2 under KK Timm reached Penang 9 Sep 1944
U 219 a type XB under Burghagen reached Jakarta 11 Dec 1944
U-195 a type IXD1 under OL Steinfeld reached Jakarta 28 Dec 1944
Sunk en-route: U 177, U 852, U 1059, U 843, U 851, U 1224, U 859, U 860, U 198, U 490, U 863, U 180, U 871, U 864(2/45).
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 18 Jan 2013 09:32, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Standardisation of the correct spelling for german U-boats with space and without hyphen: for example "U 188" - not "U-188" or "U188"
