Japanese submarines in WWII: Japan-Germany

I saw few messages about subs that went to Germany and back. I am collecting all info I can find about them and there crew. Do you have any info to share?

That's in general what I have so far:

5 Japanese subs went to Germany from Japan.
1 returned without any harm or troubles - the legendary I-8.

They are: I-30, I-8, I-29, I-34, I-52

Specially built for Japan German biult PO-501 didn't make far from Germany with it's Japanese crew.

I have more info on those subs, but little info on the actual crew and cargo. Can you help?

Go To ...

under history section, page 2. There was a guy , Caisson Guage, something like that; he was some kind of historian studing Japanese subs. Try sending him a personal message if he's still listed under members. Sounds like he might be able to help ya.

Frank

I can vaguely remember seeing a show about one of the submarines between Japan and Germany was carrying a prototype jet airplane. But then again I might be totally wrong.

this googling might help, jpn though, will see if any, so, you are looking for crew names and whats carried in???


Submarine in German

Bakurei said:

I have more info on those subs, but little info on the actual crew and cargo. Can you help?

Click to expand...

This page has crew, passenger and cargo info.

And commanders' name in kanji...

I-30: Shinobu Endo 遠藤忍
I-8: Shinji Uchino 内野信二
I-29: Takakazu Kinashi 木梨鷹一
I-34: Tatsushi Irie 入江達
I-52: Kameo Uno 宇野亀雄

(Juichi Izu 伊豆壽市 was the I-29 cdr. when it rendezvoused with U-180.)

I-29 carried the photos of BMW-003 axial-flow turbojet, which became the basis of NE-20 engine.

Alright, nanashi sama, you're the winner, you have all...

related, off-topic

Team Locates Sub That Sank the U.S.S. Indianapolis (Texas A&M University)

Japanese submarines were a ripoff version of German U-Boat.

伊401

shiroma said:

I-29 carried the photos of the BMW-003 axial-flow turbojet, which became the basis of NE-20 engine.

Click to expand...

The I-29 never reached her destination.

Commander Kinashi's luck ran out on 29 July 1944. The I-29 and her precious horde of German technological blueprints and design documents went to the bottom along with Commander Kinashi. She was sunk by the Gato-class fleet submarine USS Sawfish while she was on the surface.

The loss of her cargo was only part. The loss of Kinashi, one of the ablest of the IJN's submarine skippers was tragic.

Sic transit Gloria Mundi.

PS: good site on the IJN's submarines! I bookmarked it for future use. Thank you!

I only just found out ....

I never bothered to put anything on this thread before ... I thought it might be "dead" - following that preposterous comment by "Soviet Soldier" some time ago!

But now that it appears to have revived - I can't resist.

I am also a day late in finding out about the I-401! Had a link to put up and everything ... then found out this morning that 窶督ｼ窶督ｳ窶堋ｵ ... had beat me to it! Rats!

(What the heck! It's a different link .... so for those into this ....


With regard to the I-29, however, it should be pointed out that although she did indeed suffer the fate described - it was after she had successfully made it back to Singapore on July 14th. At that point, she did actually disembark several passengers(including perhaps, 4 German personnel) and delivering several documents, blueprints and manuals for flight to Tokyo.

It was these basic documents that did indeed contain just enough information to assist the Japanese to proceed with some development of the Kikka and Shusui aircraft (from the Me262 and Me163 respectively).

Apparently, one solitary crew member also survived the sinking and managed to swim to a small island in the Philippines.

There is a concise account of Kinashi's last voyage in Lawrence Paterson's book "Hitler's Grey Wolves - U-Boats in the Indian Ocean" (Greenhill Books, London, 2004) - Try to get a copy ...it makes a most interesting read.

Regards,

ジョン

P.S. Now I've just noticed that my link is also in the previous link ! I must be getting slow .......

Sensuikan San said:

With regard to the I-29, however, it should be pointed out that although she did indeed suffer the fate described - it was after she had successfully made it back to Singapore on July 14th. At that point she did actually disembark several passengers(including perhaps, 4 German personnel) and delivering several documents, blueprints and manuals for flight to Tokyo.

It was these basic documents that did indeed contain just enough information to assist the Japanese to proceed with some development of the Kikka and Shusui aircraft (from the Me262 and Me163 respectively).

Apparently one solitary crew member also survived the sinking, and managed to swim to a small island in the Phillipines.

There is a concise account of Kinashi's last voyage in Lawrence Paterson's book "Hitler's Grey Wolves - U-Boats in the Indian Ocean" (Greenhill Books, London, 2004) - Try to get a copy ...it makes a most interesting read.

Click to expand...

Many thanks, Sensuikan San! My research had not uncovered the information about the port call at Singapore! And I stand corrected!

The part about the survivor was unknown to me as well, but it is not surprising, since the I-19 had been running on the surface when the Sawfish ambushed her. It is more surprising that there was only one.

I have always had a soft spot for Kinashi. He was quite a sub driver. That attack on the USS Wasp and the other ships he torpedoed sold me on him. I wish he had survived the war.

Dou itashimashite !

I believe that the documents relating to the Messerschmitt aircraft were really basic - little more than brief specifications and simple 3-view layout drawings. As a consequence, the two Japanese "copies" (particularly the Kikka) bore little more than a passing resemblance to the originals.

As for the survivor - history does not seem to record his name or rank ... but he must have been a bloody good swimmer!

I echo your comments on Kinashi, though.

And if you want a really good link to Japanese subs...try this one if you haven't already .....


Regards,

ジョン