- German submarine U-862
"U-862" was a German Type IXD2
submarine of theKriegsmarine duringWorld War II . She was the only German submarine to operate in thePacific Ocean during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, "U-862" put intoSingapore and was taken over by theImperial Japanese Navy under the "I-502"."U-862" was laid down on
August 15 1942 byAG Weser of Bremen. She was commissioned onOctober 7 1943 with "Kapitänleutnant "Heinrich Timm in command. Timm commanded "U-862" for her entire career in the Kriegsmarine, receiving a promotion to "Korvettenkapitän " onJuly 1 1944 ."U-862" conducted two patrols, sinking seven ships totalling 42,374 tons.
"U-862" was one of the most travelled of all
U-boat s. She sailed fromGermany in May 1944 and eventually reachedPenang , inJapan ese-controlled Malaya, in September 1944. Penang was the base for U-flotilla 33, code-named "Monsun" ("Monsoon").On the way there, she launched a T5/G7es "Zaunkönig I" acoustic homing torpedo at a tanker. The Zaunkönig came around full circle to home in on "U-862" itself. Only an emergency crash dive saved the U-boat from its own torpedo. She also shot down an Allied
PBY Catalina aircraft onAugust 20 1944 and then escaped an intense search for her. She sank several merchant ships in theMozambique Channel betweenAfrica andMadagascar ."U-862" departed for her second war patrol from
Jakarta in the Japanese-occupiedNetherlands East Indies in December 1944. Assigned the task of operating off Australia, she sailed down the west coast ofAustralia , across theGreat Australian Bight , around the southern coast ofTasmania and then north towardsSydney where she sank the U.S.-registeredLiberty Ship on December 25, 1944. She then travelled aroundNew Zealand and actually entered the port of Napier at night undetected. (According to 'U-Boat Far from Home' "U-862" entered Gisborne Port - not Napier)"U-862" then returned to the Indian Ocean. On February 6, 1945, about 1,520km (820 nm) southwest of Fremantle, "U-862" sank the U.S.-registered Liberty Ship, , which was loaded with
mule s bound forBurma ."U-862" was also a trial boat for the FuMo 65 "Hohentwiel"
radar system. This was cranked out of a casing on the port side of the conning tower and rose on a mast. The aerial was hand trained onto targets whilst the U-boat was at the surface. The radar had a range up to 7 nautical miles and was very effective where there was little risk from air attack on the U-boat.When Germany surrendered on
May 6 1945 , she put intoSingapore and was taken over by theImperial Japanese Navy . OnJuly 15 1945 she became the IJN submarine "I-502". I-502 surrendered at Singapore in August1945 and was scuttled there onFebruary 13 1946 .The German crew of "U-862" suffered no casualties, and some returned to Germany several years after the war.
Others having been interned at Kinmel Camp, Bodellwyddan North Wales were to remain in Wales and settled in the neighbouring communities of Rhyl, Rhuddlan and Prestatyn.This was due to the risks of returning to the Soviet occupied areas of Germany after the war.
Two of the crew are buried at the new cemetery at Rhuddlan North Wales on nearby plots.
ee also
*
Axis naval activity in Australian waters
*Axis naval activity in New Zealand waters
*List of U-boats External links
* http://uboat.net/boats/u862.htm
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