Unterseeboot 862
Encyclopedia
German submarine U-862 was a German
Type IXD2 U-boat
of the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
. She was the only German submarine to operate in the Pacific Ocean
during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, U-862 put into Singapore
and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
under the name I-502.
U-862 was laid down on 15 August 1942 by AG Weser
of Bremen
. She was commissioned
on 7 October 1943 with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Timm
in command. Timm commanded U-862 for her entire career in the Kriegsmarine, receiving a promotion to Korvettenkapitän on 1 July 1944. U-862 conducted two patrols, sinking seven ships totalling 42,374 tons.
s. She sailed from Germany in May 1944 and eventually reached Penang
, in Japanese-controlled Malaya
, in September 1944. Penang was the base for the 33rd U-boat flotilla, 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. Only an emergency crash dive saved the U-boat from its own torpedo. She also shot down an Allied PBY Catalina
aircraft on 20 August 1944 and then escaped an intense search for her. She sank several merchant ships in the Mozambique Channel
between Africa and Madagascar
.
in the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies in December 1944. Assigned the task of operating off Australia, she sailed down the west coast of Australia
, across the Great Australian Bight
, around the southern coast of Tasmania
and then north towards Sydney
where she sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship
on 25 December 1944. She then travelled around New Zealand
and entered the port of Napier
at night undetected. This has given birth to an urban legend in New Zealand, where it is said that the captain of the U-862 sent sailors ashore at night to steal fresh milk from a farm. This may arise from a joke made by Captain Timm to Air Vice Marshal Sir Rochford Hughes in the late 1950s.
U-862 then returned to the Indian Ocean. On 6 February 1945, about 1,520 km (820 nm) southwest of Fremantle
, U-862 sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship, , which was loaded with mule
s bound for Burma.
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 (13 km) and was very effective where there was little risk from air attack on the U-boat.
and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
. On 15 July 1945 she became the IJN submarine I-502. The I-502 surrendered at Singapore in August 1945 and was scuttled there on 13 February 1946.
The German crew of U-862 suffered no casualties, and some returned to Germany several years after the war. Others were interned at Kinmel Camp, Bodelwyddan
, North Wales, and remained in Wales and settled in the neighbouring communities of Rhyl
, Rhuddlan
and Prestatyn
, 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.
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...
Type IXD2 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 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...
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 the only German submarine to operate in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, U-862 put into Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
under the name I-502.
U-862 was laid down on 15 August 1942 by AG Weser
AG Weser
Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...
of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. She was commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 7 October 1943 with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Timm
Heinrich Timm
Heinrich Timm was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross....
in command. Timm commanded U-862 for her entire career in the Kriegsmarine, receiving a promotion to Korvettenkapitän on 1 July 1944. U-862 conducted two patrols, sinking seven ships totalling 42,374 tons.
1st patrol
U-862 was one of the most travelled of all U-boatU-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...
s. She sailed from Germany in May 1944 and eventually reached Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, in Japanese-controlled Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, in September 1944. Penang was the base for the 33rd U-boat flotilla, code-named Monsun ("Monsoon").
On the way there, she launched a T5/G7es Zaunkönig I
G7es torpedo
The G7es or Zaunkönig T-5 was a torpedo employed by German U-boats during World War II. It was known as the GNAT to the British.- Description :...
acoustic homing torpedo
Acoustic torpedo
An acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar. Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a submarine....
at a tanker. The Zaunkönig came around full circle to home in on U-862. Only an emergency crash dive saved the U-boat from its own torpedo. She also shot down an Allied PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
aircraft on 20 August 1944 and then escaped an intense search for her. She sank several merchant ships in the Mozambique Channel
Mozambique Channel
The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...
between Africa and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
2nd patrol
U-862 departed for her second war patrol from BataviaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
in the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies in December 1944. Assigned the task of operating off Australia, she sailed down the west coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, across the Great Australian Bight
Great Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.-Extent:...
, around the southern coast of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and then north towards Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
where she sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
on 25 December 1944. She then travelled around New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and entered the port of Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
at night undetected. This has given birth to an urban legend in New Zealand, where it is said that the captain of the U-862 sent sailors ashore at night to steal fresh milk from a farm. This may arise from a joke made by Captain Timm to Air Vice Marshal Sir Rochford Hughes in the late 1950s.
U-862 then returned to the Indian Ocean. On 6 February 1945, about 1,520 km (820 nm) southwest of Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, U-862 sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship, , which was loaded with mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s bound for Burma.
U-862 was also a trial boat for the FuMo 65 Hohentwiel radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
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 (13 km) and was very effective where there was little risk from air attack on the U-boat.
Fate
When Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945, she put into SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. On 15 July 1945 she became the IJN submarine I-502. The I-502 surrendered at Singapore in August 1945 and was scuttled there on 13 February 1946.
The German crew of U-862 suffered no casualties, and some returned to Germany several years after the war. Others were interned at Kinmel Camp, Bodelwyddan
Bodelwyddan
Bodelwyddan is a village and community in Denbighshire, Wales now bypassed by the A55 road. It has a population of 2,106. The village lies east of Abergele, south of Rhyl, and north west of Ruthin....
, North Wales, and remained in Wales and settled in the neighbouring communities of Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
and Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, 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.
Raiding Career
| Date | Ship Name | Ship Type | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT GRT GRT may refer to:* Grease Removal Technology, or GRT- Lipase enzyme* General Recorded Tape, aka GRT Corporation, a defunct corporation that owned Chess Records and Janus Records as well as being a label in its own right* General relativity theory... ) | Position | Deaths | Cargo & Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 July 1944 | Robin Goodfellow | Steam Merchant |  American |
6,885 | 20°03′S 14°21′W | 68 (No Survivors) | 8,602 tons of chrome ore |
| 13 August 1944 | Radbury | Steam Merchant |  British |
3,614 | 24°20′S 41°45′E | 23 | 4-5,000 tons of coal |
| 16 August 1944 | Empire Lancer | Steam Merchant | British |
7,037 | 15°00′S 44°00′E | 42 | 2,000 tons of copper 1,000 tons of military stores |
| 18 August 1944 | Nairung | Steam Merchant | British |
5,414 | 15°00′S 42°00′E | 92 (No Survivors) | General cargo, including ammunition |
| 19 August 1944 | Wayfarer | Steam Merchant | British |
5,068 | 14°30′S 42°20′E | 51 | 3,000 tons of copper 2,000 tons of coal |
| 24 December 1944 | Robert J. Walker | Liberty Ship Liberty ship Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by... |
American |
7,180 | 36°35′S 150°43′E | 2 | Ballast |
| 6 February 1945 | Peter Silvester | Liberty Ship Liberty ship Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by... |
American |
7,176 | 34°19′S 99°37′E | 33 | 2,700 tons of US Army supplies 317 mules 107 soldiers |
See also
- List of German U-boats
- Axis naval activity in Australian watersAxis naval activity in Australian watersAlthough Australia was remote from the main battlefronts, there was considerable Axis naval activity in Australian waters during the Second World War. A total of 54 German and Japanese warships and submarines entered Australian waters between 1940 and 1945 and attacked ships, ports and other targets...
- Axis naval activity in New Zealand watersAxis naval activity in New Zealand watersA small number of Axis surface raiders and submarines operated in New Zealand Waters during World War II.-Surface raiders:The following German surface raiders operated in New Zealand waters: *Small auxiliary raider Adjutant *Tanker Ole Jacob A small number of Axis surface raiders and submarines...