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 in Singapore
Posted by:
Capt. George W. Duffy
()
Date: June 22, 2001 12:42PM
<HTML>Dear Adrian:
On July 1, 1944, as a prisoner of the Japanese, I arrived at Singapore on a small freighter after a four day trip from Batavia, Java. Approaching Keppel Harbor we passed very close to an anchored U-boat. Her crew members were on deck and one, playing his accordian, serenaded us with \"The Beer Barrel Polka\". My contact in the past fifteen years with Kriegsmarine officers and men who served in the Far East indicate this boat was the U-532.
Of further interest is when we embarked in the CHUKKA MARU at Batavia, another U-boat was tied up to the quay astern of us and her crew was keenly interested in the proceedings. That was the U-168 which was torpedoed on the way to Soerabaja several months later by the Dutch submarine ZWAARDVISCH.
As to a German freighter being seen in Singapore, that was not a rarity during the war, although by 1944 the Axis blockade runners had pretty well had their day.
Now a question from me. You say your grandfather was repatriated in November 1944. He must have been one of the few survivors from two \"hell\" ships sunk in September 1944 and subsequently rescued by the attacking American subs. How else could he have gotten back to Australia at that time?
As for German/Japanese relations, they were indeed not smooth. I have recently ordered a pre-publication-date copy of \"Reluctant Allies\" co-authored by several German and Japanese writers. Should be interesting!
Steady as she goes!
George. </HTML>
On July 1, 1944, as a prisoner of the Japanese, I arrived at Singapore on a small freighter after a four day trip from Batavia, Java. Approaching Keppel Harbor we passed very close to an anchored U-boat. Her crew members were on deck and one, playing his accordian, serenaded us with \"The Beer Barrel Polka\". My contact in the past fifteen years with Kriegsmarine officers and men who served in the Far East indicate this boat was the U-532.
Of further interest is when we embarked in the CHUKKA MARU at Batavia, another U-boat was tied up to the quay astern of us and her crew was keenly interested in the proceedings. That was the U-168 which was torpedoed on the way to Soerabaja several months later by the Dutch submarine ZWAARDVISCH.
As to a German freighter being seen in Singapore, that was not a rarity during the war, although by 1944 the Axis blockade runners had pretty well had their day.
Now a question from me. You say your grandfather was repatriated in November 1944. He must have been one of the few survivors from two \"hell\" ships sunk in September 1944 and subsequently rescued by the attacking American subs. How else could he have gotten back to Australia at that time?
As for German/Japanese relations, they were indeed not smooth. I have recently ordered a pre-publication-date copy of \"Reluctant Allies\" co-authored by several German and Japanese writers. Should be interesting!
Steady as she goes!
George. </HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
U Boats in Singapore
|
adrian | 06/21/2001 10:10PM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
Rainer Kolbicz | 06/22/2001 07:37AM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 06/22/2001 12:42PM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
Oliver Meise | 06/22/2001 10:12PM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
adrian | 06/22/2001 10:30PM |
|
Parthenia
|
Der Teddy Bär | 06/22/2001 11:30PM |
|
RE: Parthenia
|
adrian | 06/23/2001 06:35AM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
Antonio Veiga | 06/22/2001 10:28PM |
|
RE: U Boats in Singapore
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 06/23/2001 07:03PM |