General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: U-Boats sunk off South Africa
Posted by:
Yuri IL'IN
()
Date: March 26, 2002 02:53AM
<HTML><img src="[rapidttp.com];
South Africa and the war against Japan <em>by A Wessels </em>
<a href="[rapidttp.com] History Journal, Vol 10 No 3 June 1996 SA ISSN 0026-4016</a>
The German Naval High Command was anxious that the Japanese should send submarines to operate off the east coast of Africa and, at the beginning of April 1942, the Japanese promised to do so (74). Towards the middle of that year, they launched a submarine offensive in the western Indian Ocean. The raiding force - under the command of Rear Admiral Ishizaki - consisted of five submarines of the 8th Submarine Flotilla: I-16, I-18 and I-20 each with a midget submarine attached to it; and I-10 and I-30 each equipped with an aeroplane. The submarines were supported by two armed supply ships (Aikoka Maru and Hokoka Maru) that could have been classified as auxiliary cruisers. These Japanese vessels operated between Durban and the northern end of the Mozambique Channel.
From 5 June to 8 July 1942 the submarines sank 21 Allied merchant ships, while another merchantman was sunk by one of the Japanese supply ships. The total tonnage of the 21 ships which were sunk within 1 000 sea miles (1 852 km) of the Union's shores(75) was 94 508 tons, 10,7% of the Allied tonnage that went down within 1 000 sea-miles of the coast of the Union. Most of the ships were sunk in the Mozambique Channel and the nearest sinking to the South African coast occurred on 6 July when the Mundra was sunk very near the coast, just south of St Lucia Bay. Despite many sorties, aircraft of the SAAF and the RAF made no contact with the Japanese vessels.
The Japanese task force tried to intervene during the Allied invasion of Madagascar when, as has already been mentioned,(76) midget submarines torpedoed the battleship HMS Ramillies and a British tanker on the night of 30/31 May 1942. During this operation, two of the midget submarines were destroyed.(77)
It is interesting to note that there is good reason to believe that, in the early hours of 20 May 1942 and again on 5 June and 4 July and perhaps even on other occasions, aircraft carried by the Japanese submarines reconnoitred the Natal coast and flew over Durban!(78) In no way prepared for this, the city and its harbour were illuminated and provided perfect targets. On 20 May, an unidentified aircraft was challenged by the Fire Commander of Durban Fortress Air Defences. It supplied the wrong code and disappeared out over the sea. Not a single gun or searchlight went into action. When, on 24 June 1942, the anti-aircraft guns at Durban did go into action against an aircraft, it was found to be a South African aircraft, which was searching for an enemy intruder!(79) On 29, 30 and 31 May 1942, shortly before that incident and perhaps even during and just after the midget submarine attack against Allied shipping off Diego Suarez, Japanese aircraft from the 'I' Class submarines reconnoitred that area.(80).
When the Japanese submarine force first made its appearance off the southern African coast in May 1942, the submarine war in the region had already been raging since 28 October 1941, when a German U-boat had sunk the Hazelside. After the withdrawal of the Japanese vessels, submarine warfare continued in the seas around South Africa, the last ship being sunk on 23 February 1945. No fewer than 156 Allied ships were sunk within 1 000 nautical miles (1 852 km) of the Union's coast.(81)
Of these vessels, the Japanese task force accounted for 21,82 or 13,5%. However, in terms of the number of ships sunk within the 1 000 mile limit, 1942 was the worst year for Allied shipping along the South African coasts. In that year, 81 merchant ships (with a gross tonnage of 455 756) were lost and, in June, when the Japanese submarines were most active, fifteen ships (70 914 tons) were sunk, the third highest figure of shipping losses for any month during the war.(83)
The Allied forces were only able to sink three enemy submarines within 1 000 sea miles of the South African coast and all three were German boats.(84) Nevertheless, as the defensive measures of the SAAF and its allies improved, the Axis powers were forced to transfer the weight of their attack further east, even far beyond Madagascar. With this island under Allied control, the Japanese submarines, with a few exceptions,(85) never again ventured near Africa's coasts, in any case not in great numbers, although they continued to operate further east in the Indian Ocean.
All in all, at least 36 enemy submarines operated within 1 000 sea miles of South Africa's coast during the war. Of these, at least five were Japanese. German and Italian submarines sank 116 vessels in the area, at an average rate of less than four per submarine. On the other hand, the five Japanese boats sank twenty ships, an average of exactly four per boat.(86)
On the whole, the Japanese task force was very successful, but had Ishizaki risked a surface attack by night on the ships at anchor outside Durban harbour, he probably would have claimed many more victims. However, it must be borne in mind that the Japanese had no real interest in attacking merchant ships far from Japan. With scanty internal resources, Japan could not afford a protracted naval war and, therefore, concentrated on building surface naval vessels that could quickly annihilate the enemy's surface fleet. As Turner correctly points out, in terms of their strategy, the Japanese submarine offensive in the Mozambique Channel in June and July 1942 was really an isolated episode undertaken to meet the importunity of Germany, a not very well- loved ally.(87)
BBC News, Wednesday, 5 December, 2001
South Africa's condoms for submarines
South Africa's condom powered ultimate naval deterrent
By the BBC News Online's Stefan Armbruster in Paris
A German company is to build a condom factory in South Africa in exchange for a $594m contract for three German submarines.
Regards,
Yuri IL'IN
Moscow Russia</HTML>
![rapidttp.com](http://rapidttp.com/milhist/mhsban.gif"><br>){kind=link}
South Africa and the war against Japan <em>by A Wessels </em>
<a href="[rapidttp.com] History Journal, Vol 10 No 3 June 1996 SA ISSN 0026-4016</a>
The German Naval High Command was anxious that the Japanese should send submarines to operate off the east coast of Africa and, at the beginning of April 1942, the Japanese promised to do so (74). Towards the middle of that year, they launched a submarine offensive in the western Indian Ocean. The raiding force - under the command of Rear Admiral Ishizaki - consisted of five submarines of the 8th Submarine Flotilla: I-16, I-18 and I-20 each with a midget submarine attached to it; and I-10 and I-30 each equipped with an aeroplane. The submarines were supported by two armed supply ships (Aikoka Maru and Hokoka Maru) that could have been classified as auxiliary cruisers. These Japanese vessels operated between Durban and the northern end of the Mozambique Channel.
From 5 June to 8 July 1942 the submarines sank 21 Allied merchant ships, while another merchantman was sunk by one of the Japanese supply ships. The total tonnage of the 21 ships which were sunk within 1 000 sea miles (1 852 km) of the Union's shores(75) was 94 508 tons, 10,7% of the Allied tonnage that went down within 1 000 sea-miles of the coast of the Union. Most of the ships were sunk in the Mozambique Channel and the nearest sinking to the South African coast occurred on 6 July when the Mundra was sunk very near the coast, just south of St Lucia Bay. Despite many sorties, aircraft of the SAAF and the RAF made no contact with the Japanese vessels.
The Japanese task force tried to intervene during the Allied invasion of Madagascar when, as has already been mentioned,(76) midget submarines torpedoed the battleship HMS Ramillies and a British tanker on the night of 30/31 May 1942. During this operation, two of the midget submarines were destroyed.(77)
It is interesting to note that there is good reason to believe that, in the early hours of 20 May 1942 and again on 5 June and 4 July and perhaps even on other occasions, aircraft carried by the Japanese submarines reconnoitred the Natal coast and flew over Durban!(78) In no way prepared for this, the city and its harbour were illuminated and provided perfect targets. On 20 May, an unidentified aircraft was challenged by the Fire Commander of Durban Fortress Air Defences. It supplied the wrong code and disappeared out over the sea. Not a single gun or searchlight went into action. When, on 24 June 1942, the anti-aircraft guns at Durban did go into action against an aircraft, it was found to be a South African aircraft, which was searching for an enemy intruder!(79) On 29, 30 and 31 May 1942, shortly before that incident and perhaps even during and just after the midget submarine attack against Allied shipping off Diego Suarez, Japanese aircraft from the 'I' Class submarines reconnoitred that area.(80).
When the Japanese submarine force first made its appearance off the southern African coast in May 1942, the submarine war in the region had already been raging since 28 October 1941, when a German U-boat had sunk the Hazelside. After the withdrawal of the Japanese vessels, submarine warfare continued in the seas around South Africa, the last ship being sunk on 23 February 1945. No fewer than 156 Allied ships were sunk within 1 000 nautical miles (1 852 km) of the Union's coast.(81)
Of these vessels, the Japanese task force accounted for 21,82 or 13,5%. However, in terms of the number of ships sunk within the 1 000 mile limit, 1942 was the worst year for Allied shipping along the South African coasts. In that year, 81 merchant ships (with a gross tonnage of 455 756) were lost and, in June, when the Japanese submarines were most active, fifteen ships (70 914 tons) were sunk, the third highest figure of shipping losses for any month during the war.(83)
The Allied forces were only able to sink three enemy submarines within 1 000 sea miles of the South African coast and all three were German boats.(84) Nevertheless, as the defensive measures of the SAAF and its allies improved, the Axis powers were forced to transfer the weight of their attack further east, even far beyond Madagascar. With this island under Allied control, the Japanese submarines, with a few exceptions,(85) never again ventured near Africa's coasts, in any case not in great numbers, although they continued to operate further east in the Indian Ocean.
All in all, at least 36 enemy submarines operated within 1 000 sea miles of South Africa's coast during the war. Of these, at least five were Japanese. German and Italian submarines sank 116 vessels in the area, at an average rate of less than four per submarine. On the other hand, the five Japanese boats sank twenty ships, an average of exactly four per boat.(86)
On the whole, the Japanese task force was very successful, but had Ishizaki risked a surface attack by night on the ships at anchor outside Durban harbour, he probably would have claimed many more victims. However, it must be borne in mind that the Japanese had no real interest in attacking merchant ships far from Japan. With scanty internal resources, Japan could not afford a protracted naval war and, therefore, concentrated on building surface naval vessels that could quickly annihilate the enemy's surface fleet. As Turner correctly points out, in terms of their strategy, the Japanese submarine offensive in the Mozambique Channel in June and July 1942 was really an isolated episode undertaken to meet the importunity of Germany, a not very well- loved ally.(87)
BBC News, Wednesday, 5 December, 2001
South Africa's condoms for submarines
South Africa's condom powered ultimate naval deterrent
By the BBC News Online's Stefan Armbruster in Paris
A German company is to build a condom factory in South Africa in exchange for a $594m contract for three German submarines.
Regards,
Yuri IL'IN
Moscow Russia</HTML>
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