Stopping the U-234: Hitler’s Atom Bomb Submarine

[Mike H.]

Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled "Stopping the U-234: Hitler’s Atom Bomb Submarine" and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/stopping-the-u-234-hitlers-atom-bomb-submarine/.

 

[Seawolf]

Found this to be an interesting article. If you want to visit a captured German sub, the U-505 is located at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

 

[Sld1959]

Found this to be an interesting article. If you want to visit a captured German sub, the U-505 is located at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Along with the Natural History museum in Chicago, a true favorite visit.

 

[Talyn]

Never carried an atomic bomb just uranium 235.

Several Berman & Japanese cargo subs made/attempted trips carrying tech, cargo, money & people between the two countries.

The trip success rate was not high.

 

[Annihilator]

Interesting article Mike, thanks

 

[Talyn]

Japanese submarine I-52 (1942) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

H-033-1 Yanagi Missions

H-Gram 033, Attachment 1 Samuel J. Cox, Director NHHC July 2019

www.history.navy.mil

World War II: Yanagi Missions -- Japan's Underwater Convoys | HistoryNet

A series of top-secret Japanese submarine missions could have altered the course of World War II.

www.historynet.com

World War II Cargo-Transport Submarines

The sketch of the Type XX-boat. The vast bulk of cargo should be placed outside the pressure hull in wet storage. Inside the pressure hull, there was only about 220 cubic metre of storage space for…

weaponsandwarfare.com

Type X submarine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[bolo]

Displacement was more like 2100 tons submerged not 20,000. That would have been one enormous u-boat!

 

[Seawolf]

2100 tons submerged is correct. About 1700 tons surfaced. For comparison, the two boats that I was on, SSN 671 and SSBN 655, displaced about 5000 tons and 7250 tons respectively.

 

[rehjaeger]

It doesn't seem to be mentioned here, but that boat is a Type IX-B, the so-called "Milchkuh" or "Milk Cow" that was used primarily as a resupply vessel due to their large size and unwieldiness in defensive maneuvers. The U-505, which can be seen at the Chicago Museum of Science (if you're brave enough to go there) was of the same type. However, don't expect to learn anything from the tour guides. I still vividly remember ours referring to Allied anti-submarine aircraft (in general) as "jet fighters." I corrected her a couple of times and then gave up.

 

[TidalWave]

The Monsun Gruppe (Monsoon Group) was the German U-boat effort in Asian waters.
A few ended up in Japanese hands either by transfer or being taken over when Germany fell.

 

[bolo]

The Japanese also seized some Italian subs in Singapore when Italy surrendered and subsequently turned them over to the Germans.These became part of a transport scheme code named "MerKator" which never came to fruition with the subs finally being taken over by Japan when Germany surrendered then ending up as war prizes and being sunk by the US Navy after the war.

 

[JimD]

Intresting story. What ever became of the ME-262 jet aircraft that was aboard U-234?

 

[Mike H.]

Displacement was more like 2100 tons submerged not 20,000. That would have been one enormous u-boat!

Thanks for letting us know about this! I reached out the author, and he had this to say:

"As a total land-lubber the author apologizes for being too aggressive on the trigger with the "0" key! Displacement for the Type X Submarine Minelayer is listed as 1,735 tons (surfaced) and 2,143 tons (submerged). Based on my meat-bread-cheese diet, that is very close to my own displacement! "

 

[rehjaeger]

Interesting. I have to admit I mis-identified this boat, having never seen a picture of the Type X. I also have to admit my relative ignorance of them. Probably because they weren't intended as anti-surface ship combat boats, but of course that's no excuse. Thanks for the clarification, Mike.