German submarine U-1224
Encyclopedia
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German submarine U-1224 was a Type IXC/40
U-boat
of the German
Kriegsmarine
built for service during World War II
. She was constructed by Deutsche Werft
of Hamburg
, used as a training ship for Japanese sailors, and transferred into Japanese service on February 15, 1944.
U-1224 was used as a training ship for Japanese sailors, and engaged in technology transfer activities. He (all German ships were "male") began his career doing training for Japanese sailors in the Baltic Sea. A small crew of Kriegsmarine Sailors trained 48 IJN sailors at sea from October 1943 to February 1944.
On its journey from Germany to Malaysia, the RO-501 carried precious metals, uncut optical glass, models and blueprints necessary to construct a Type IX U-boat in addition to motors and blueprints for the Messerschmitt Me-163 "Komet” rocket fighter airplane. It was also hoped that the trained Japanese sailors would pass along their expertise.
. Along the way, the RO-501 ran into an anti-submarine patrol group including the Escort Carrier and the Destroyer Escort . The patrol drove the RO-501 underwater for 2 days, during which its batteries were depleted and the Captain radioed a distress signal to Imperial Fleet Command. The Allies had broken the code, and the message helped the Allied hunter-killer group close in on the submarine.
The Francis M. Robinson reported a submerged contact at 1900 hours on May 13, 1944. The destroyer engaged the contact with a 24-mortar spread from its hedgehog
mount, and then dropped a string of eight depth charges. Shortly after the munitions detonated, a series of 4 underwater explosions were detected. All 52 men aboard the RO-501 were believed KIA (the 48 crew who had trained on him, plus the Captain, an Engineer, a German pilot, and a German radar operator).
The final resting place of U-1224/RO-501 is south of the Azores in about 2900 feet (883.9 m) of water at 18°7′59"N 33°12′59"W. The site is rarely dived due to its extreme depth, which is well beyond skinsuit range.
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German submarine U-1224 was a Type IXC/40
German Type IX submarine
The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
built for service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was constructed by Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft
Deutsche Werft was a German shipbuilding company, located in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1918 on initiative by Albert Ballin and with Gutehoffnungshütte , Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft and Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft as investors.During World War II...
of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, used as a training ship for Japanese sailors, and transferred into Japanese service on February 15, 1944.
Kriegsmarine (German Navy)
His keel was laid down on November 1942 by Blohm + Voss of Hamburg. He was commissioned in October 1943.U-1224 was used as a training ship for Japanese sailors, and engaged in technology transfer activities. He (all German ships were "male") began his career doing training for Japanese sailors in the Baltic Sea. A small crew of Kriegsmarine Sailors trained 48 IJN sailors at sea from October 1943 to February 1944.
Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun (Imperial Japanese Navy)
After the crew underwent 3 months of training, the U-1224 was recommissioned into the Japanese navy under the pennant 'RO-501'. Captain Narita was put in charge of the crew (ref. 2), and the 'RO-501' was then tasked to carry a load of war materials, blueprints, and other secret cargo from Kiel, Germany to Penang, Malaysia. The mission was never completed.Technology Transfer
Germany and Japan were separated by great distance, and in early 1944 they were increasingly cut off from each other. While neither power was able to send meaningful reinforcements or armaments through territory controlled by the Allied powers, they were able to use submarines to share some intelligence and weapons blueprints. Submarines offered security and their stealth allowed for a fair chance of success. Between 1942 and 1944, approximately 35 submarines attempted the journey from Europe to the Far East, and at least 11 attempted the journey from the Far East to Europe (ref. 4).On its journey from Germany to Malaysia, the RO-501 carried precious metals, uncut optical glass, models and blueprints necessary to construct a Type IX U-boat in addition to motors and blueprints for the Messerschmitt Me-163 "Komet” rocket fighter airplane. It was also hoped that the trained Japanese sailors would pass along their expertise.
Loss at Sea
The route to Malaysia took the RO-501 to the Azores for refueling, and then around the Horn of AfricaHorn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. Along the way, the RO-501 ran into an anti-submarine patrol group including the Escort Carrier and the Destroyer Escort . The patrol drove the RO-501 underwater for 2 days, during which its batteries were depleted and the Captain radioed a distress signal to Imperial Fleet Command. The Allies had broken the code, and the message helped the Allied hunter-killer group close in on the submarine.
The Francis M. Robinson reported a submerged contact at 1900 hours on May 13, 1944. The destroyer engaged the contact with a 24-mortar spread from its hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
mount, and then dropped a string of eight depth charges. Shortly after the munitions detonated, a series of 4 underwater explosions were detected. All 52 men aboard the RO-501 were believed KIA (the 48 crew who had trained on him, plus the Captain, an Engineer, a German pilot, and a German radar operator).
The final resting place of U-1224/RO-501 is south of the Azores in about 2900 feet (883.9 m) of water at 18°7′59"N 33°12′59"W. The site is rarely dived due to its extreme depth, which is well beyond skinsuit range.