Karl Pfaff - U 234
Karl Pfaff - U 234
Karl Pfaff, second in command of U 234 was en route to Japan to deliver advanced German technology as well as uranium oxide when the war ended. A few years ago, just before he passed away Mr. Pfaff and his daughter visited the clinic in Memphis where my brother works. My bro noticed a German accent and, taking his age into account, asked his daughter if he was involved in the war. His daughter emphatically said "OH YES!" and preceded to say a little about his involvement. Mr. Pfaff did not say much, but said that the WW2 episode was such a small part of his entire life. Anyway my bro asked him to sign the photo just a few weeks prior to his death. The "small part" of his life is nonetheless truly fascinating.
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Re: Karl Pfaff - U 234
The story regarding this U 234 and its cargo, is a part of our history neglected and ignored by mainstream media and most mainstream historians .
This interview with Carter Hydrick , an american who wrote a book called : "Critical mass" talks in this interview about this incident in detail :
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyigoY6B8hI&t=111s <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
This is part 1 / 2 with the second coming out later .
http://www.Forumborealis.net is the producer of the show.
Episode 2 should be out for cristmas / new year times.
hope you like it , its definetly a mind blower for the uninitiated to this side of our history.
Niebels
This interview with Carter Hydrick , an american who wrote a book called : "Critical mass" talks in this interview about this incident in detail :
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyigoY6B8hI&t=111s <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
This is part 1 / 2 with the second coming out later .
http://www.Forumborealis.net is the producer of the show.
Episode 2 should be out for cristmas / new year times.
hope you like it , its definetly a mind blower for the uninitiated to this side of our history.
Niebels
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Derek Waller
- Member
- Posts: 72
- Joined: 25 Oct 2010, 14:55
Re: Karl Pfaff - U 234
Dear Niebels,
Whilst the interview with Carter Hydrick may well be interesting, I would caution against believing the conspiracy theories put forward in his book "Critical Mass" - which is essentially a castle built on sand.
Hydrick's prime building-block is the version of the U 234 story as told in the book "Hirschfeld- The Secret Diary of a U-Boat" by Geoffrey Brooks and Wolfgang Hirschfeld", about which there are serious doubts.
In this respect, please see one of the book's reviews on Amazon, viz:
By Ubootfahrer on 13 May 2013
Format: Paperback
I purchased an earlier version of this book primarily because of my interest in U 234 and her cargo. These matters are covered in some detail in the final two chapters of this book which has been put together by Geoffrey Brooks, allegedly from conversations and correspondence with Hirschfeld, plus his 'secret diary', of which more later.
U-234 sailed from Japan in mid-April 1945 carrying a number of important passengers, some of whom were to help the Japanese produce the Me 262 jet aircraft. The boat also carried some 240 tons of cargo that mainly consisted of spares and general supplies for U-boats, U-boat bases and other German naval stations in East Asia, but also included 93 tons of various items for the Japanese armed forces. For many years, stories about the latter have centred primarily on 560 kgs of uranium oxide and claims that at least one complete example of an Me 262 jet aircraft was aboard. While it is true that U 234 was indeed carrying uranium oxide for the Japanese Army, prompting lurid speculation about its purpose, exactly why it was being sent to Japan is still not known.
The Hirschfeld/Brooks account of the loading of the uranium oxide is fanciful and absurd, to say the least. According to the book, Hirschfeld apparently stood on the bridge watching two Japanese senior officers on their hands and knees on the foredeck yet was able to see them writing "U 235" on ten 9-inch square containers that were then put into one of the vertical mine shaft containers. That Hirschfeld's eyesight was so good is beyond belief, but the episode is complete invention. Ten 9-inch containers would obviously not have accommodated 560 kgs of uranium oxide, nor was it ever in any of the vertical bow containers; it was in fact stored in containers located in horizontal compartments on either side of the U-boat.
As for the claim that an Me 262 was aboard, this is also completely false. I have obtained a number of authentic documents relating to U 234, and where aircraft types are mentioned at all, the documents are perfectly clear in stating that only aircraft drawings - I repeat, drawings - were being carried to Japan, plus tooling for a few components known to be difficult to manufacture. Nowhere in the archives of the UK, US or Germany is there a shred of evidence to support the authors' claims that 'an Me 262 jet fighter in its component parts [was] stowed in the hold amidships'.
Finally, what of that 'secret diary' that Hirschfeld is supposed to have maintained? In his introduction, Brooks writes, 'I have based this book on Hirschfeld's private war diaries...' However, in Chapters 9 and 10, we find that when Hirschfeld was taken prisoner by the Americans in May 1945, most of his personal possessions, including the diaries, were stolen! 'My diaries, U-Boat leathers and fur outfit were gone,' we are told.
It is clear, therefore, that contrary to Brooks' and Hirschfeld's claims, such diaries - if they ever existed at all - could not have formed the basis of this book. Thus, in view of the misinformation and false allegations presented with regard to the uranium oxide and the Me 262, doubt is naturally cast over the accuracy of the rest of the work considering that it is largely based on this non-existent diary. Anyone buying this book is therefore warned to treat what they read with extreme caution and should disregard entirely anything about the Me 262. This is just a myth initiated and repeated by sensational publications such as this so often that it is erroneously accepted as fact. For the reasons given, readers of this book, and any researcher tempted to quote from it, would indeed be naive if, like the other reviewers, they regard it as a reliable source of information.
I fully agree with every word of this thoughtful and well-researched review, and therefore recommend that anyone who is inclined to believe that Hydrick's version of this bit of U-Boat history is accurate should be very sceptical indeed.
Yours aye,
Derek.
Whilst the interview with Carter Hydrick may well be interesting, I would caution against believing the conspiracy theories put forward in his book "Critical Mass" - which is essentially a castle built on sand.
Hydrick's prime building-block is the version of the U 234 story as told in the book "Hirschfeld- The Secret Diary of a U-Boat" by Geoffrey Brooks and Wolfgang Hirschfeld", about which there are serious doubts.
In this respect, please see one of the book's reviews on Amazon, viz:
By Ubootfahrer on 13 May 2013
Format: Paperback
I purchased an earlier version of this book primarily because of my interest in U 234 and her cargo. These matters are covered in some detail in the final two chapters of this book which has been put together by Geoffrey Brooks, allegedly from conversations and correspondence with Hirschfeld, plus his 'secret diary', of which more later.
U-234 sailed from Japan in mid-April 1945 carrying a number of important passengers, some of whom were to help the Japanese produce the Me 262 jet aircraft. The boat also carried some 240 tons of cargo that mainly consisted of spares and general supplies for U-boats, U-boat bases and other German naval stations in East Asia, but also included 93 tons of various items for the Japanese armed forces. For many years, stories about the latter have centred primarily on 560 kgs of uranium oxide and claims that at least one complete example of an Me 262 jet aircraft was aboard. While it is true that U 234 was indeed carrying uranium oxide for the Japanese Army, prompting lurid speculation about its purpose, exactly why it was being sent to Japan is still not known.
The Hirschfeld/Brooks account of the loading of the uranium oxide is fanciful and absurd, to say the least. According to the book, Hirschfeld apparently stood on the bridge watching two Japanese senior officers on their hands and knees on the foredeck yet was able to see them writing "U 235" on ten 9-inch square containers that were then put into one of the vertical mine shaft containers. That Hirschfeld's eyesight was so good is beyond belief, but the episode is complete invention. Ten 9-inch containers would obviously not have accommodated 560 kgs of uranium oxide, nor was it ever in any of the vertical bow containers; it was in fact stored in containers located in horizontal compartments on either side of the U-boat.
As for the claim that an Me 262 was aboard, this is also completely false. I have obtained a number of authentic documents relating to U 234, and where aircraft types are mentioned at all, the documents are perfectly clear in stating that only aircraft drawings - I repeat, drawings - were being carried to Japan, plus tooling for a few components known to be difficult to manufacture. Nowhere in the archives of the UK, US or Germany is there a shred of evidence to support the authors' claims that 'an Me 262 jet fighter in its component parts [was] stowed in the hold amidships'.
Finally, what of that 'secret diary' that Hirschfeld is supposed to have maintained? In his introduction, Brooks writes, 'I have based this book on Hirschfeld's private war diaries...' However, in Chapters 9 and 10, we find that when Hirschfeld was taken prisoner by the Americans in May 1945, most of his personal possessions, including the diaries, were stolen! 'My diaries, U-Boat leathers and fur outfit were gone,' we are told.
It is clear, therefore, that contrary to Brooks' and Hirschfeld's claims, such diaries - if they ever existed at all - could not have formed the basis of this book. Thus, in view of the misinformation and false allegations presented with regard to the uranium oxide and the Me 262, doubt is naturally cast over the accuracy of the rest of the work considering that it is largely based on this non-existent diary. Anyone buying this book is therefore warned to treat what they read with extreme caution and should disregard entirely anything about the Me 262. This is just a myth initiated and repeated by sensational publications such as this so often that it is erroneously accepted as fact. For the reasons given, readers of this book, and any researcher tempted to quote from it, would indeed be naive if, like the other reviewers, they regard it as a reliable source of information.
I fully agree with every word of this thoughtful and well-researched review, and therefore recommend that anyone who is inclined to believe that Hydrick's version of this bit of U-Boat history is accurate should be very sceptical indeed.
Yours aye,
Derek.