|
|
 |
|
Reply
| | From:  Flashman8 (Original Message) | Sent: 7/4/2007 3:33 PM |
To put them into contrast, the biggest German design, the type XX1 was 1621 tons 251 ft long 11,500 miles range. The type I-400 was 3350 tons 400 feet long 37,000 miles range They carried a 6 inch gun, and 5 25mm AA guns at a time when the Germans only used AA guns and deck guns were being stripped. It carried 3 seaplanes Housed in a watertight 150 ft long hangar Below a massive bridge Despite the resources spent, they were only launched in 1944. They were organised into a squadron, I 13, 14, 400, and 401, and the idea was to use their 10 seaplanes as an offensive force, appearing out of nowhere The Japanese had developed bacteriological and biological cultures and tested them on European POWs in Manchuria, so hey! why not make a present of them to the USA. The idea was to drop the cultures on West Coast cities. Amazingly this was cancelled as being to close to illegal warfare. (Might have been because it was March 1945 and the writing was on the wall.) Plan 2 was to attack the Panama canal, bomb the Gatun lock gates, and paralyse Yankee trade. They neede 1600 tons of diesel each, and so there were delays lasting until June 1945 while this was procured from Manchuria. It was then realised there were 3,000 allied warships in the Pacific, as it was a bit late. Finally, it was decided to attack US forces in Ulithi. I 13 was sunk by a US destroyer, and then the Japanese surrendered them to the US Navy at Honshu To cut a long story short, the Russians pressed for some to be handed over, but they were torpedoed off Pearl Harbour in 1946. Three Points interest me arising from this story -
To crash dive the crew had to jump down a 30ft high shaft from the bridge. 3 ft deep matteresses were supplied. -
The American prize crews were staggered by the filth and infestations of cockroaches and lice -
The Yanks were amazed by the size and quality of the binoculars carried. So big they were pedestal mounted.m It was explained these were ordered from Germany direct and delivered by blockade runners. Why? because their radar was too unreliable. If no-one's dead from boredom, I'll post another about the Japan-Germany blockade running operations. Peter |
| |
 First
Previous
2-11 of 11
Next
Last
|
Reply
| |
I'm not dead from boredom, Flashman. I think this is interesting. sunday |
|
Reply
| |
OK To continue the theme. It's amazing how embattled Japan and Germany were that even the carrying capacity of a submarine made the employment of such expensive units for such a tremendous distance worthwhile, especially when you think Japan was becoming desperately short of fuel. The Japanese developed the C 3 Class, - Displacement: 2,095 metric tons standard, 2,564 t surface, 3,644 t submerged
- Length: 108.5 m (356 feet)
- Beam: 9.3 m (30.5 feet)
- Draught: 5.12 m
- Equipment: 2-shaft diesel and electric motor, 4,700 bhp surface, 1,200 shp submerged
- Range: 21,000 nautical miles at 12 knots (22 km/h)
- Speed: 17.7 knots surface, 6.5 knots submerged
- Armament 6 x 53 cm torpedo tubes, 2 x 14 cm/40 cal. gun, 2 x 25 mm anti-aircraft guns
- Complement: 94 officers and men, 18 civilians
- Cargo: 300 metric tons [6]
She was tasked to go to Lorient with an amazing cargo On 10 March 1944, on her maiden voyage, I-52 (Commander Uno Kameo) departed Kure, Japan via Sasebo for Singapore. Her cargo from Japan included 9.8 tons of molybdenum, 11 tons of tungsten, 2.2 tons of gold in 146 bars packed in 49 metal boxes, 3 tons of opium and 54 kg of caffeine [2]. The gold was payment for German optical technology. She also carried 14 passengers, primarily Japanese technicians, who were to study German technology in anti-aircraft guns, and engines for torpedo boats. In Singapore she picked up a further 120 tons of tin in ingots, 59.8 tons of caoutchouc (raw rubber) in bales and 3.3 tons of quinine, and headed through the Indian Ocean, to the Atlantic Ocean. You'd have hardly thought a few tons of molybdenum or tin woud have made any odds. However, events overtook her, and because of D-day, she was diverted to Norawy. On the night of 22 June 1944 about 850 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa, I-52 rendezvoused with U-530, a Type IXC/40 U-boat commanded by Kapitänleutnant Kurt Lange. U-530 provided her with fuel, and also transferred a Naxos FuMB 7 radar detector, and an Enigma coding machine, along with two radar operators, Petty Officers Schulze and Behrendt, and German liaison officer for the trip through the Bay of Biscay. Ultra traffic gave her presence away, and she was sunk by an American task force. The German submarine escaped to end the war in Argentina. The I-52 was rumoured to be carrying 800lbs of uranium as well. |
| |
Reply
| |
Sorry Lew. Don't understand. |
|
Reply
| |
The biggest American sub built pre nuclear was the Argonaut. Technical information | Type | Submarine | | Displacement | 2710/4080 BRT | | Length | 381 feet | | Complement | 89 men | | Armament | 4 torpedo tubes
2 6inch deck guns | 28 Nov, 1941
USS Argonaut (Lt.Cdr. S.G. Barchet) left Pearl Harbor and was on patrol duty near Midway Island with USS Trout when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. After sunset on 7 December, Argonaut surfaced and heard naval gunfire around Midway. Argonaut then submerged to make a sonar approach to investigate. Argonaut spotted two Japanese destroyers, Akebono and Ushio (both offsite links ) whose mission was shore bombardment on Midway. The ships may have detected Argonaut, and one passed close by the submarine. They completed the bombardment then retired before Argonaut could make a second approach. A week later, soud reported destroyer propellers in the vicinity but Lt.Cdr. Barchet refused to check it out. On 22 January 1942, USS Argonaut returned to Pearl Harbor, where Barchet was relieved of command and, after a brief stop there, proceeded to the Mare Island Navy Yard for conversion into a troop transport submarine. 8 Aug, 1942
With her conversion completed USS Argonaut left Pearl Harbour on 8 August 1942 together with USS Nautilus. They were to transport and land marine commandos on Makin in the Gilbert Islands. The convoy arrived off Makin on 16 August; and at 0330hours the next day, the marines began landing. Their rubber rafts were swamped by the sea and most of the outboard motors drowned. The Japanese either forewarned or extraordinarily alert because of the activity on Guadalcanal-gave the Americans a warm reception. Snipers were hidden in the trees and the landing beaches were in front of the Japanese forces instead of behind them as planned. By midnight of 10 August, all but 30 of the troops had been recovered. Both submarines arrived back at Pearl Harbour on 26 August 1942. 2 Jan, 1943
While on her third war patrol USS Argonaut (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Pierce) sank the Japanese guardboat Ebon Maru (198 GRT) in the Bismark Sea off the north-west coast of New Britain in position 04º30'S, 151º30'E. |
| |
Reply
| |
Sorry, forgot to ID the post. The last line of your initial post offers to post more on German/Jap blockade runners. Go for it. |
|
Reply
| |
Yes Lew That was post no 3, the "Golden Submarine" |
|
Reply
| |
JimBert, Look at your piddly little Argonaut against MY 1-400 Japs The type I-400 was Piddly little Argonaut was 3350 tons 2710 400 feet long 381 37,000 miles range 18,000 They carried a 6 inch (155)gun, 5 inch gun (first issued with 2 x 6") and 5 25mm AA guns 1 x 20 and 1 x 40 mm at a time when the Germans only mounted 105s 150 Officers and men 60 officers and men You always know you're with friends on a Flashman sized sub. |
| |
Reply
| |
Flashman, your response reminds me of similar comments made when I first took a communal shower!!! Jimbert |
|
Reply
| |
Whether those comments refer to diminutive size or to forever being with friends is a matter for your conscience, dear boy. Done you and Arnie a neat little question on Militaria, MMG thread. |
|
|
First
Previous
2-11 of 11
Next
Last
|
|
|
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Return to American History