A U-boat that had served both Germany and Japan would have made a fine tourist attraction today, much like U-505 in Chicago, Illinois.
@atsonaga55203 жыл бұрын
Yeah but it' was hijacked by the penguins in Madagascar
@BA-gn3qb3 жыл бұрын
With the right scuba gear, they still can be.
@alfarep2253 жыл бұрын
Yes I loved that one
@therealspeedwagon1451 Жыл бұрын
Or as a prized war trophy sailed by America today. Or probably one that would’ve been seized and either used in Operation Crossroads or simply sunk as target practice.
@VersusARCH4 ай бұрын
Check the Italian sumbarine Luigi Torelli... Served Italy, then Germany, then Japan...
@stephenrickstrew72373 жыл бұрын
Packing more history into 10 minutes … than most hour long documentary’s …Thank you for your unique channel and thorough Research …!
If anyone wonders, the flak guns shown in the picture are two twin 20mm guns on the upper platform and the fully automatic single 37mm on the lower platform. The 37mm gun was introduced in late 1943 and was a mighty weapon, capable of shooting down even the Allied 4-engined bombers. It often jammed, however, as it was not really suited for continous contact with salt water. Production shortages led to a variety of layouts, the most common one is shown here. Other boats carried a quadruple 20mm gun on the lower platform, and shortages of the twin 20mm guns would lead to several boats being fitted with a pair of single 20mm guns on the upper platform. U486, which sank the Leopoldville on Christmas Eve 1944, carried two 20mm twins on the upper platform and no gun at all on the lower platform, which remained empty. In 1945, some type IX boats were fitted with an experimental, fully automatic brand new twin 37mm gun, which was too heavy to be carried by the smaller type VII boats. Single 20mm guns were carried ever since the war began, and the type IX boats carried an additional single 37mm gun, but it was only half-automatic and thus nearly useless against aircraft. The fully automatic 37mm gun reached the front only in late 1943. Quadruple 20mm guns were carried on surface ships as early as 1941 (Bismarck had two of them). It was fitted to uboats in mid 1943, a few months before the 37mm gun became available. From what I have read, the 37mm gun was generally preferred over the quadruple 20mm gun. It should also be mentioned that guns were changed between patrols. U515, the famous boat of Werner Henke, carried the 105mm deck gun, a single, half-automatic 37mm gun and a single 20mm gun on its first three patrols. On the 4th patrol, the 105mm and 37mm guns were removed and the bridge tower enlarged to carry two single 20mm guns on the upper platform and a quadruple 20mm gun on the lower platform. On the 5th patrol, three twin 20mm guns were carried. For the 6th and final patrol, the twin 20mm gun on the lower platform was replaced by the new, fully automatic 37mm gun while the other two 20mm twins were kept in place on the upper platform. (All 20mm gun mounts were fully automatic)
@stephenrickstrew72373 жыл бұрын
We’re Those were built during Dornetz’s fight out on the surface episode
@martenikaeltheroy36213 жыл бұрын
I never got it how normal guns could survive under the salty waters..
@uncleTedK2 жыл бұрын
Based U-Boat enthusiast.
@basichistory3 жыл бұрын
Yet another cracking video, well done Mark. Please keep them coming.
@at19703 жыл бұрын
“…they could not produce enough to affect the coarse of the war”. Donitz. Well, he would know about that.
@SpaceMonkeyBoi3 жыл бұрын
It's very interesting to learn about the lesser known trades with Germany and Japan
@noahleonatti95553 жыл бұрын
Mark does not stop, I feel like I was just watching a new episode this morning and we already got another
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
I'm sure he breaks for tea.
@krisfrederick50013 жыл бұрын
Germany: "Marco" Japan: "Polo!" Donitz proceeds to choose the worst two U-Boats in the Kriegsmarine
@thomasb18893 жыл бұрын
Yet they were probably much better boats than what the Japanese had being able to dive much deeper than any IJN boat.
@arrow14143 жыл бұрын
One was brand new.
@Crocoll-ti6rd3 жыл бұрын
@George Washington GoldenAUroraniS „Kaiser Wilhelm II. tat im Laufe eines Vierteljahrhunderts sein möglichstes, um die Unwetter des Krieges von Deutschlands Grenzen & von Europa fernzuhalten. Aber alles, was Verleumdung, Feigheit, Klatsch ausdenken kann, ergießt sich über sein Haupt. Seine Absichten werden verdreht, seine Worte missdeutet, seine Handlungen zu Verbrechen gestempelt.“ (Sven Anders Hedin) Geograph, Topograph, Entdeckungsreisender (* 19. Februar 1865 † 26. November 1952) „Mit Greuelpropaganda haben wir den Krieg gewonnen. Und nun fangen wir erst richtig damit an! Wir werden diese Greuelpropaganda fortsetzen, wir werden sie steigern, bis niemand mehr ein gutes Wort von den Deutschen annehmen wird, bis alles zerstört sein wird, was sie etwa in anderen Ländern noch an Sympathien gehabt haben, und diese selber so durcheinander geraten sein werden, dass sie nicht mehr wissen, was sie tun. Wenn das erreicht ist, wenn sie beginnen, ihr eigenes Nest zu beschmutzen, und das nicht etwa zähneknirschend, sondern in eilfertiger Bereitschaft, den Siegern gefällig zu sein, dann erst ist der Sieg vollständig. Endgültig ist er nie. Die Umerziehung (Reeducation) bedarf sorgfältiger, unentwegter Pflege wie Englischer Rasen. Nur ein Augenblick der Nachlässigkeit und das Unkraut bricht durch, jenes unausrottbare Unkraut der geschichtlichen Wahrheit.“ (Selfton Delmer) Journalist (* 24. Mai 1904 † 4. September 1979) nach der deutschen Kapitulation 1945 in einem Gespräch mit Dr. Friedrich Grimm. „Die Deutschen müssten Engel oder Heilige sein, um zu vergessen & zu vergeben, was sie an Ungerechtigkeiten & Grausamkeiten zweimal in einer Generation zu erleiden hatten, ohne dass sie ihrerseits die Alliierten herausgefordert hätten. Wären wir Amerikaner so behandelt worden, unsere Racheakte für unser Leiden würden keine Grenzen kennen.“ Ludwig A. Fritsch, Chicago, 1948 Amerikas Verantwortung für die Verbrechen am deutschen Volk (ISBN-13: 978-3-87847-254-4) „Die Wahrheit hat weder Waffen nötig, um sich zu verteidigen, noch Gewalttätigkeit, um die Menschen zu zwingen, an sie zu glauben. Sie hat nur zu erscheinen, und sobald ihr Licht die Wolken, die sie verbergen, verscheucht hat, ist ihr Sieg gesichert.“ (𝕱𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖉𝖗𝖎𝖈𝖍 der Große) König von Preußen (* 24. Januar 1712 † 17. August 1786) .NO comment .
@maximusextreme37253 жыл бұрын
@George Washington I feel the same way. I always catch myself before I tell people that I like WW2 and have to say I have an interest in WW2. Otherwise they may think I am a little off.
@kilpatrickkirksimmons50162 жыл бұрын
@@thomasb1889 In that sense, perhaps. But I always read that Japanese and American subs were far better for the long range missions the Pacific required. Large and spacious (for the time), better suited to warm seas, etc. I'm not sure the IJN had all that much to learn from the Kriegsmarine. Of course air and ground forces were a different matter.
@markfrank33073 жыл бұрын
Love your videos
@darrenchang29073 жыл бұрын
"Mr. Ambassador, congratulations on your new post in Tokyo!" "Thank you! I very much look forward to it!" "By the way, your will be provided a ride in our U-boat to your new post!" "Wonderful!... Oh I just remembered I'm allergic to sushi. May I be posted to Madrid instead?"
@coachfabian3 жыл бұрын
Dr.Felton is churning out the content. Love it!!!!!
@thejudgmentalcat3 жыл бұрын
Another subject I'd never heard about before. Thanks, Professor!
@terryhodges83953 жыл бұрын
I love your ww2 history info thank you for your hard work you do to educate us all
@dennishunt15903 жыл бұрын
The best war history channel on KZbin by a country mile. Great content, terrific, articulate speaker: even if reading into a microphone Mark Felton is an extemporaneous speaker. Fair bloody dinkum, he even looks the part. Thank-you!
@mattblom39903 жыл бұрын
Excellent video Dr. Felton!
@jefferymaxfield78263 жыл бұрын
One of if not my favorite channel! Thank you sir!!
@elee10863 жыл бұрын
Outstanding work Sir!
@carmgitto3 жыл бұрын
Just when you think you know something about WW2 along comes Dr. Felton with a video that supplies more new information about something else, thus further learning! Bravo!
@michaelweeks93173 жыл бұрын
Bravo Mr. Felton I thank you for thanklessly toiling away in the research stacks. I am unlikely at 61 to produce more children but am seriously considering naming a house plant in your honor. Thank you again sir. I would love to learn more about Luftwaffe Infantry units as that was what mien Opa did. 4 other granduncles were lost on the eastern front and a grand Aunt who died due to American Bombing.
@Sub-km4nk3 жыл бұрын
Dr. Felton
@maximusextreme37253 жыл бұрын
Can't get enough of it!!!! Keep em coming sir!
@VosperCDN3 жыл бұрын
More information I either didn't know, or long forgot - thank you again for these videos.
@mitchmatthews67133 жыл бұрын
I truly hope that you never run out of historical information! Thank you, Mark!
@ericcriteser40013 жыл бұрын
Exceptional. Thank you.
@anitaharris99092 жыл бұрын
Another very well done presentation!
@sergioazoia223 жыл бұрын
Love your videos and the work you put into them.
@lucky619673 жыл бұрын
Absolutely slamming it out of the park Mark keep them coming
@vitordavid60863 жыл бұрын
Fantastic story Mark!
@carlmichael293 жыл бұрын
Are you a wizard? How do you keep coming up with such quality content so quickly? And such unknown content at that. You must be a wizard... Anyway... Keep up the good work. It's appreciated. Thanks for the awesome content.
@stevenhershman26603 жыл бұрын
This is why I watch Mark's interesting channel.
@johnye44333 жыл бұрын
Easy, pay someone in the war archives to scan all the transcripts and reports under fluorescent light, anything that is with less than 5 fingerprints would go to the next step of internet search, no hit then is the next story
@balancedactguy3 жыл бұрын
Great Story Mark!! Always a Winner! 👍👍!
@HeinzGuderian_3 жыл бұрын
The war is lost. Germany has very little fuel of any type to power our tanks and trucks. What shall we do? Fill up some U-Boots and send them to Japan.
@roberteschenberg86723 жыл бұрын
I enjoy your videos on both channels. They are very interesting and presented in a way that is both entertaining and understandable. I looked for your book Yanagi The Secret Underwater Trade Between Germany & Japan 1942-1945 and have been unable to find it for a reasonable price, average is around $75. I’m sure the book is worth every bit of that if I was going to pay that price I’d rather pay it to the author. I will keep looking for it though. I am excited for the opportunity to read it one day. Thank you for what you do.
@doctorsoggy55633 жыл бұрын
Prof Felton should have 10x the subscribers for the kind of content he makes
@alexamerling792 жыл бұрын
Great stuff like always Mark :)
@oncall213 жыл бұрын
Thanks Dr Felton for another insight into history!
@christopherroa97813 жыл бұрын
Mark at it again
@LarsRyeJeppesen3 жыл бұрын
Very informative, Coach
@americanpatriot24223 жыл бұрын
Outstanding video and presentation
@mikedrake57383 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark! Your channel is now my favorite! Project farm is my other most watched.
@noelblack81593 жыл бұрын
I just wanted to say, Thank you. Thank you for everything.
@jamesbodnarchuk33223 жыл бұрын
Great story! Thank you Dr. Felton!❤️🇨🇦
@motorTranz3 жыл бұрын
Interesting story! Thank you Dr. Felton!
@wildcolonialman3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating.
@alanmoffat44543 жыл бұрын
SEAMS SOMETHING WENT WRONG WHITH OUR RADAR TOO MUCH COMEING AND GOING ON , THANKS DR FELTON 👍 .
@prdubi3 жыл бұрын
Thank you... I've been waiting for you to talk about this.
@lucasyago36023 жыл бұрын
How many more unbelieveably specific and awesome topics from WW2 will you make a video about, Mark? HOW MANY
@777turbineman3 жыл бұрын
That had to have been a long scary (probably like any war time sub trip) trip from France to the Pacific.
@dreamcast36073 жыл бұрын
Love your videos would you please do something on Thailand in World War II
@andreasleonardo67933 жыл бұрын
Another amazing historical video shared by excellent historic channel ( DR Mark Felton production) thanks
@brokenbridge63163 жыл бұрын
I've heard of some of this before. But not all of it. Nice video. Although a few more visuals would've been good to see.
@agustinjohnpeters.66193 жыл бұрын
Very informative video, thank you for sharing Dr. Felton!
@Mrchupa3 жыл бұрын
You’re awesome Mark. Thank you!
@arbenkraja95003 жыл бұрын
Really nice videos 👍 can you please make a video of Albanian role in ww2 and the ss skanderbeg.
@DrMerio5183 жыл бұрын
Great content! Thank you so much Dr. Felton! :)
@penultimateh7663 жыл бұрын
Fascinating, thank you.
@kennysherrill65423 жыл бұрын
Remarkable history Dr. Felton.👍👍👍👍👍❤🇺🇸
@TankerBricks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark for providing my Sunday Night entertainment!
@timwolf64703 жыл бұрын
Mr felton thank you so much just amazing content after amazing content 👏 ❤ 💕
@garykubodera95283 жыл бұрын
Had the chance to check out the captured German submarine in Chicago this last month.. I never realized just how big/small they were. I did get to tour the US WWII submarine earlier this year in San Francisco at Fisherman's Warf and was amazed how that many men were able to operate in such a small vessel... I'm 6'4" tall and I would have hit my head way too many times if I was a member of that crew! Ouch! Thanks Dr Felton for this informative short on these 2 U-boats that were gifts to the Imperial Japanese Navy. 😃
@dennisthemenace573 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much. I wasn't aware of the extreme length of some submarine voyages.
@oneshotme3 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
@nicktacular063 жыл бұрын
Love from Slovenia 🇸🇮!!¡!¡
@kimjaiprakashudhaiwala1413 жыл бұрын
One love from mother india to Slovenia 🇮🇳❤️🇸🇮
@jonkelly79083 жыл бұрын
U 511 is more interesting as being the first submarine to launch rockets whilst submerged. You missed the U 219 which was taken over by the Japanese in Jakarta after the surrender of the Germans, becoming the I-505 Also 2 submarines that are the only 2 naval vessels to serve with all 3 axis navies, both originally Italian: RM Comandante Capellini - UIT-24 - I-503 RM Luigi Torelli - UIT-25 - I-504
@wertherquartett3 жыл бұрын
U219 is an incredible story. Its treacherous journey from Bordeaux to Batavia (something like 111 days, much of it submerged) involved great heroism and a good measure of luck.
@adamhbrennan3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark
@johndimeo1843 жыл бұрын
Great work 👏
@rgriffinRETIRED_SHEEPDOG3 жыл бұрын
Very interesting!
@lukebishop52193 жыл бұрын
Hi Mark I've had a question i think would be really good for a video. What happened to the flag the Soviets put on the reichstag? Does it still exist?
@WarStorieswithMarkFelton3 жыл бұрын
I believe it's in the Moscow Military Museum.
@elwin383 жыл бұрын
@@WarStorieswithMarkFelton In the movie 1941, the Japanese were in a German U-boat and there was a German officer on board. The Japanese complained the sub didnt work and the German officer said they were the best. Needless to say it didnt turn out well in the end.
@Jermster_913 жыл бұрын
From a article I read by Gregory Manaev, the flag is now preserved in special conditions in the basement of the Central Armed Forces Museum in Moscow.
@niume74683 жыл бұрын
YES! UBOATS! thanks for the great video as always. If I had money I would donate
@genes.32853 жыл бұрын
The Japanese made some very good, very large, long range submarines. They might not have learned a lot from examining a U-boat. Their torpedoes were first rate also.
@streetgato96973 жыл бұрын
The Japanese had better, larger and far more advanced submarines, but the Germans employed their U-Boats in significantly more offensive capacity.
@xander95643 жыл бұрын
@@streetgato9697 By the end of the war, German U-boat quality was by far the highest in the world, much more so than any other country's, Allied or Axis.
@streetgato96973 жыл бұрын
@@xander9564 True perhaps, if you're referring to the German XXI... but rather too late to be of any use near the end, and with their codes broken never stood a chance against allied subs like the US Balao Class with advanced radar. Japanese I-Class subs remained to have the best torpedoes, they continued to carry aircraft and midget submarines and deployed them effectively until the war's end, but then again defeated by more advanced radar and ASW capabilities of the Allies.
@scooterbob44323 жыл бұрын
True. Japanese long range torpedoes sank the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis in WW2.
@silvanski3 жыл бұрын
This story makes my Sunday complete!
@andrewedwards22113 жыл бұрын
Dear Mr Felton, please do more Japanese stuff like New Guinea, the New Guinea general who asked the allies to punish him not his men, the Australian prison break and other Japanese stuff. I’m glad I got more German Japanese relations!!!
@barrythatcher93493 жыл бұрын
totality agree, Dr. Felton please more stuff about Australia.
@andrewedwards22113 жыл бұрын
Dr Felton, you do great work. I would love South Pacific stuff. I know you’ve delved into Saipan and China as well as the little known German Japanese trade system. I would be indebted to you if u did the New Guinea or Indochina stuff, or other South Pacific stuff. Thank you for making history worth learning again! Not middle school crap everyone with elementary knowledge knows. Thank you everyone who supports this man
@TheDgamesD3 жыл бұрын
I think you'd love the story of the Luigi Torelli/UIT-25/I-504, An italian submarine that first fought for Italy, then fighting for the Germans post armistice with her Italian Crew, "The Luigi Torelli was one of three Italian submarines in the Far East in 1943 when the new Italian government agreed to an armistice with the Allies. Of the three, the Luigi Torelli, Comandante Cappellini and Giuliani and their crews were temporarily interned by the Japanese. The Luigi Torelli and two other boats then passed to German U-boat command and, with mixed German and Italian crews, continued to fight against the Allies. The Kriegsmarine assigned new officers to the Luigi Torelli, renamed her the U.IT.25 and had her take part in German war operations in the Pacific." Even under Japanese Command I-504 retained her European crew, which included 20 Italians. Under the command of newly boarded Japanese officers, she fought until 30 August 1945, two weeks after the Japanese surrender. The very last Axis ‘kill’ of the war is attributed to I-504 - the shooting down of an American B-25 bomber.
@mountainhobo3 жыл бұрын
"Japan's Nazi U-Boats" - I didn't know the boats were party members.
@mathewfullerton85773 жыл бұрын
Nazi, as an adjective, defines the organization that built it, much like Ford or Chevrolet. So, give it up, you aren't as clever as you believe.
@mountainhobo3 жыл бұрын
@@mathewfullerton8577 No, it doesn't. It is way overused today. In wartime Germany no one used it that way. This gross oversimplification allows weasels like Angela Merkel insinuate that Germany was the first victim of Nazism, as if Nazis were some strange race from space that landed in Germany.
@Midlife_Crisis_3 жыл бұрын
Oh look a grammar Nazi
@MWcrazyhorse3 жыл бұрын
Yeah I don't think the Brits know what Nazi means. Just leave them. They're having fun.
@captainobvious92333 жыл бұрын
Of Course they do. It's part of the interview process for U-Boats that want to enlist. You need to apologize. U-Boats have feelings too.
@stefanmolnapor9103 жыл бұрын
Watching a documentary on Columbia, Full stop! Dr. Mark Felton has uploaded another lesson for us to study!
@bjorntorlarsson3 жыл бұрын
German submarine U-234 left for Japan in March 1945 carrying uranium for nuclear bomb development. The captain objected during loading because the box was marked "U-235", the uranium isotope. "- This is U-234, not U-235. There must've been some mistake!" ;-)
@bjorntorlarsson3 жыл бұрын
You can't make this stuff up. Would never work in a Hollywood movie. Unless Leslie Nielsen is the main character. Even though the submarine surrendered underway, the uranium ended up in Japan anyway. As part of one of the American nuclear bombs. "Greetings from Kriegsmarine!"
@tameraughwayne43303 жыл бұрын
I love these videos
@jabarmustafa7453 жыл бұрын
Great work Mr. MARK FELTON, pls, apart of U tube what other channel do you publish ww 2 war affairs?
@nwga.53273 жыл бұрын
I'm here early. Mark for president!
@hlynnkeith93343 жыл бұрын
Mark Felton, It seemed curious that a carrier (USS Bogue) was escorted by five escort destroyers (DE). I thought, "Must be an escort carrier (CVE)." Yes, indeedy, she was. Had quite the carrier as a sub killer. Will you do an episode on the use of CVE battle groups as sub killers?
@ag57953 жыл бұрын
I fully appreciate that the Nazi side history probably gets the most views. I also know you have published plenty of history about super cool things the allies did. It kind of seems you’ve been leaning far more towards the former lately rather than the later. Big fan by the way.
@cal42073 жыл бұрын
Has this U-boat ever been located on the bottom of the ocean?
@jimc.goodfellas3 жыл бұрын
I can never get enough content about World War 2
@rycarpenter69453 жыл бұрын
Thanks for another great video Mark, I’m just curious why the Japanese didn’t seem to name many of their more minor vehicles like submarines, is this the case?
@theoneandonlysoslappy3 жыл бұрын
That's an incredible amount of resources that the US was able to allocate to sinking a single submarine.
@hlynnkeith93343 жыл бұрын
The USS Bogue and her battlegroup did more than hunt just the RO-501: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bogue.
@allaboutboats3 жыл бұрын
@@hlynnkeith9334 Wasnt the Bogue Hunter Killer Group the same one that captured U505 now on display in Chicago? Admiral Dan Gallery? edit: Nope it was her sister ship USS Guadalcanal
@hlynnkeith93343 жыл бұрын
@@allaboutboats FWIW Wikipedia says it was the CVE Guadalcanal and her DE battlegroup that captured U505.
@allaboutboats3 жыл бұрын
@@hlynnkeith9334 yeah I figured it out after OP. Thanks for info tho!
@RsRj-qd2cg3 жыл бұрын
Not really. Bogue was an Atlantic carrier, intended for anti submarine work. The five destroyers were also subchasers. The US Navy in the Atlantic was a bit different than the Pacific fleets.
@benwilson61453 жыл бұрын
German Blockade Runners, two sunk by U Boats including the Doggerbank which carried the crew of the Thor.
@paulherriot89363 жыл бұрын
Great story again. I was hoping to see better graphics though.
@WarStorieswithMarkFelton3 жыл бұрын
Audio channel only
@dennisvangijn12063 жыл бұрын
MarkOpedia😉👍👍
@jars00233 жыл бұрын
Another great piece of history. Thank you.
@brucelowe33913 жыл бұрын
Perfect for a rainy day.
@steveshoemaker63473 жыл бұрын
~~~Thanks
@anthonydunn65322 жыл бұрын
Will there be an episode on the Gruppe Munsun?
@danieldiaz-cooper2263 жыл бұрын
How are you doing Dr Felton? All good?
@attilavajda20853 жыл бұрын
Can anyone explain to me what was this scuttling mania after the war? Tons of lead, copper, aluminum and steel were lost with each submarine. Which, after the war, I think was a terrible waste of raw materials. The total weight of the Type XXI battery is 240 tons and these were also sunk by the Allies during Operation Deadlight. Wouldn't it have been worth it to break them up?
@SeamHead333 жыл бұрын
WW2 was Man vs. Evil and Man lost
@jasonbromhead52573 жыл бұрын
It was just man Vs man as it has always been. Since time immemorial.
@bruceyung703 жыл бұрын
Found your book on Amazon!
@sergeipohkerova72113 жыл бұрын
Opening Act: *The Nazi Uboats* Headliner: *Black Flag*
@georgedoolittle90153 жыл бұрын
"last to surrender" absolutely. There is a captured U-boat in the US City of Chicago if you're interested in an actual field trip.
@paulkoza86523 жыл бұрын
Amazing
@Wolfen4433 жыл бұрын
Amazing that their submarines travelled around the world despite naval restrictions. If the odds were less tough, Germany and Japan might have established a joint Submarine collaboration during the war.
@f-xdemers28253 жыл бұрын
" Never heard from again" Ironic epitaph of many in search of glory.
@pentimemachine5463 жыл бұрын
In WW2 Penang was not a Kriegsmarine U - boat base in the true sense . In the 1990s I befriended a crew member from the Hilfskreuzer THOR who gave me a first hand account of the German Navy activities in Penang. He was transferred to Penang due to his good command of English to coordinate German and Japanese activities in the area. ( after THOR exploded in Yokohama in November 42.) Penang was the first port of call for U - Boats from Europe to Asia ( last port of call vice versa ) after a long and hazardous journey. Penang was an RnR centre , replenishment n minor repair port before onward voyage to Singapore or Surabaya where there were better facilities. No doubt there were friendly get together between Germans and Japanese there were not much sharing of military matters. The Germans were not informed about the sinking of USS Grenadier off Penang waters. The crew of the Grenadier was interned at the Penang Main Convent and later sent to Japan as POWs. The graffiti by the crew is still visible in the rooms which they were interned. There is a book written by Mr Al Rupp on their ordeal. There is not much impression left by the Kriegsmarine in WW2 in Penang except buildings used by them as office ( Leong Yin Kean mansion ) in Northam Road opposite the old Anglican cemetery, and old warehouses used as store n repair area. In contrast the German Navy left a greater impression during WW1 when the cruiser SMS EMDEN sank a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer in a lightning raid on Penang harbour.
@streetgato96973 жыл бұрын
Japanese had better, larger and far more advanced submarines, but the Germans employed their U-Boats in significantly more offensive capacity.
@tavablue3333 жыл бұрын
Interesting. I never thought to compare them. Do you know of any books or websites on the topic?