Just read a footnote in a book about the Me-262 that a German Type IX D2 U-Boat ( U-864 ) was lost on 9 Feb 1945 off Norway.

( Thanks to No.9 in an old quiz I now know that this was the only submerged sub-to-sub victory of the war ).

According to the book I'm reading, the U-Boat contained a number of Messerschmitt employees who were taking Me-163 and -262 components and drawings to Japan.

It's the first I've ever heard of this - can anyone give us the fuller story ?

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

U 864, commanded by 32-year old Ralf-Reimar Wolfram, left Bergen on 5 February 1945. The boat contained plans and parts for the ME-163 and ME-262 and signed contracts authroizing the Japanese to legally manufacture these planes. The boat also carried aircraft plans for the JU-1 to JU-6 and "Campini", plans for "Caproni-" and a Satsuki-type submarines, plans for radar manufactured by Siemens, and 1857 flasks of mercury. Also several German and Japanese aircraft engineers were passengers.

U 864's snorkel failed and Wolfram decided to return to Bergen were she encountered the HMS Venturer, commanded by James S. Launders, on 9 Feb 1945 thirty-five miles from Bergen. Sonar detected sounds of U 864 and Launders spotted "two thin masts" sticking out of the water through his periscope. Launders fired four torpedoes from 3000 yards and sank the U 864.

[ 21. March 2004, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Herr Kaleun ]

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"Angriff, Ran, Versenken!"-Onkel Karl
"Sink 'Em All"-Uncle Charlie

Many thanks, Herr K ! I'd never heard of this incident ; it almost sounds like something from the pages of a novel.....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Am I allowed to sulk

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if in doubt....Panic!!!!

No.9

Well, I knew it was someone from England.... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson