Shortly before the end of the war, a German submarine left the port in Kiel. Destination - Japan. On board were classified documents and material necessary for the production of atomic weapons. But the boat did not reach its destination.
Central Atlantic, May 8, 1945 For four days now, U-234 has been receiving reports of the impending surrender of the Reich. Suddenly, the command of the commander of the submarine fleet, Captain Rezing, comes: "U-234, go further or return to Bergen!" The commander, 34-year-old Lieutenant Commander Fehler, hesitates for a while and decides to continue heading southwest.
Two days later, on May 10, the orders of the allies on surrender are transmitted: all German submarines still in the sea must surface, raise the black flag and go to the nearest Allied port. Fehler doesn't know what to do. Black flag battle flag. Maybe he should really go with his boat into the hands of the enemy? U-234 is en route to Japan on a highly classified mission. No one knows the location of the boat, no one knows - Fehler thinks so - whether the crew is still alive. For since they left the Norwegian waters that protected them, radio silence was observed, and the boat disappeared into the vastness of the Atlantic. Why not just keep going? After all, Japan is still at war with the British and Americans.
Fehler calls the officers to a council of war. First Duty Officer Richard Bulla and loading officer Karl Pfaff propose to go around Cape Horn, land on some uninhabited island in the South Pacific and calmly wait for the development of events. After all, there are 480 tons of diesel fuel and provisions on board the boat for five months, so there is no need to urgently enter the port. However, the rest of the plan seems too risky. Wolfgang Hirschfeld, a senior radio operator, believes it is best to continue sailing to Japan or return to Norway.
Ulrich Kessler, Air General Kesler, one of the twelve on board passengers that Fehler must be sure to bring to Japan, strongly opposes surrender and surrender. He offers to sail to Argentina or Uruguay, where his eldest son lives. The boat has valuable cargo on board, and Kesler believes that it can buy the freedom of the crew. The exchange of views is inconclusive, and Fehler is not moving one step towards a solution. The discussion continues in the officers' mess. Then, on May 13, a new radiogram arrives: "Whoever does not surrender now will be declared a pirate and put on trial at sea." Obviously, many submarines did not follow the call for surrender, and the Allies fear that the "gray wolves" will be able to continue the war at their own peril and risk. Finally, the radio reports that Japan has severed relations with Germany,- therefore, further voyage is pointless. The commander again discusses the situation with his officers and, despite the resistance of General Kesler, makes a decision to surrender. On May 13, 1945, five days after the general surrender, U-234 surfaced in the Central Atlantic and radioed its coordinates. A black-painted sheet flutters on the periscope.
The British and Americans were already eagerly awaiting the secret submarine to surrender. From the transcripts of diplomatic radio communications between Berlin and Tokyo, it was known that a German submarine with a highly classified cargo was on the way to East Asia. And they did not want to miss this fat booty.
But how did it happen that U-234 was sent to Japan? And what did she actually have on board?
After the outbreak of war with the Soviet Union in June 1941, communication by land between the Allies, Germany and Japan, was interrupted. Only the sea route remained for the exchange of important cargo and personnel. At first, a whole caravan of merchant ships that broke through the blockade managed to travel a dangerous long distance from Western France across the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean to Japan and return to the "fortress Europe" with very valuable raw materials on board. When the losses became too great, submarines tried to break through the blockade ring of the allies. However, given the superiority of the British and Americans at sea and in such operations, suicide bombers were sent. Until March 1945, only two German and one Japanese submarines with strategic cargo managed to reach German waters, nine other transports with raw materials were sunk by the Allies. After such a defeat, these flights were abandoned,U-234 was the last submarine to sail to the Far East.
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It was commissioned in March 1944 and was adopted by a very young team, the majority of which were barely 19 years old. The only non-commissioned officers were veteran submariners who had many military campaigns behind them and often narrowly escaped death. The crew very soon fell in love with Commander Fehler himself for his cordiality. However, seasoned sailors doubted whether he had enough experience to survive in the Atlantic. In the end, he came from the merchant fleet and sailed only on an auxiliary cruiser before his fateful assignment. But U-234 was not supposed to pursue enemy ships and vessels. Soon after commissioning, she was converted into a cargo submarine and equipped with the latest instruments. On board were noise torpedoes for self-defense, radar and a radar detector of the latest design. Extended air duct, snorkel,allowed the boat to move even under water using diesel engines. Therefore, she had to surface in neutral waters and was almost invisible to the observation of the allies.
The boat headed for Norway
While the Americans crossed the Rhine at Remagen, the last German offensives in Hungary failed, and the Red Army captured Pomerania, a submarine was loaded in the bombed Keel: 74 tons of lead, 26 tons of mercury, seven tons of optical glass, 43 tons of aircraft blueprints, tools and medical supplies disappeared into the cargo holds. One of the mines even housed the "miracle weapon" of the Luftwaffe: a disassembled Me-262 jet fighter along with two jet engines. With the help of German know-how, it was supposed to finally stop the devastating American air raids on Japanese cities. Finally, they loaded ten small cubic metal containers measuring 23 by 23 centimeters - a strange load that they did not know what to think about. There was no time for such thoughts,the boat's fuel tanks are filled to the brim, weapons, ammunition and provisions are loaded. Shortly before sailing, eleven passengers boarded: two Japanese technical officers who were being transported home, two engineers from the Messerschmitt aircraft company, three air force officers seconded to the headquarters of the German air attaché, and four naval officers who were to study the experience of the Japanese fleet for the future restoration of the German naval forces. Ironically, by this time, most of the ships of the once so powerful Japanese ocean-going fleet lay at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. And its pitiful remnants were incapacitated due to lack of fuel.who were taken home, two engineers of the aircraft company "Messerschmitt", three Air Force officers seconded to the headquarters of the German air attaché, and four Navy officers who were to study the experience of the Japanese fleet for the future restoration of the German naval forces. Ironically, by this time, most of the ships of the once so powerful Japanese ocean-going fleet lay at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. And its pitiful remnants were incapacitated due to lack of fuel.who were taken home, two engineers of the aircraft company "Messerschmitt", three Air Force officers seconded to the headquarters of the German air attaché, and four Navy officers who were to study the experience of the Japanese fleet for the future restoration of the German naval forces. Ironically, by this time, most of the ships of the once so powerful Japanese ocean-going fleet lay at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. And its pitiful remnants were incapacitated due to lack of fuel. Ironically, by this time, most of the ships of the once so powerful Japanese ocean-going fleet lay at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. And its pitiful remnants were incapacitated due to lack of fuel. Ironically, by this time, most of the ships of the once so powerful Japanese ocean-going fleet lay at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. And its pitiful remnants were incapacitated due to lack of fuel.
This happened on March 25, 1945, as the Allies were preparing to cross the Rhine on a broad front. At about 10 am U-234 gave up the mooring lines; music played over the radio, and the comrades from the 5th submarine flotilla waved goodbye. "Goodbye in the new year!" they shouted. It became known immediately that the route to Japan was on land, although officially it was a big secret. “I never hoped to return,” crew member Franz Wiedenheft later said. As the heavily laden boat slowly left the port of Kiel, the crew's thoughts were occupied with an uncertain future. Will they ever return to Germany? It was clear to everyone that the situation at the fronts was hopeless and that the struggle could not last long.
The boat headed for Norway, slipped through the Kattegat and two days later reached the Oslofjord. In the southern Norwegian port of Kristiansand, another passenger boarded - Aviation General Ulrich Kesler, a highly educated officer who fell out of favor in the spring of 1944 due to too realistic assessments of the situation and was transferred to the farthest post that the Air Force could offer: he was supposed to take the post of air force attaché in Japan. Suddenly, an order came to wait for another special passenger. Maybe some big Nazi wanted to hide at the last minute? But nobody showed up.
On April 15, U-234 left Norwegian waters and headed northwest.
The commander addressed the crew with a short speech: “Friends, you have heard the latest messages, you know where the enemy is and how things are at home. Times are tough in Germany. No matter how this war ends, I will do everything for you to return home safe and sound."
The boat went under water, thanks to modern propulsion equipment, crossed the North Sea and reached the Atlantic without being noticed by the Allied aircraft.
After a month on the high seas, the news of the surrender of the Wehrmacht arrived, and Fehler, after discussions that lasted several days, decided to surrender the boat and the crew. The nearest Allied port was Halifax in Canada. However, the officers on board refused to go into the hands of the Canadians or the British, because they feared that they would hand them over to the French. The unanimous opinion was that it was better to surrender to the Americans. Although the British made every effort to direct the boat to Halifax by radio, Fehler ignored their instructions and, on the surface, moved west towards the American east coast. This decision was extremely painful for the two passengers on board. Both Japanese officers, Colonel Genzo Shoshi and Captain Third Rank Hideo Tomonaga,desperately tried to convince the commander to continue sailing to Japan and not give the submarine to the Allies. But Lieutenant-Commander Fehler no longer saw the point in sailing halfway across the world and, what good, being brought to court like a pirate. When both Japanese realized that all their efforts were in vain, they said goodbye to the team members. Tomonaga also gave the submariners a wristwatch, which he bought in Switzerland. At first, no one understood this behavior. Suicide - so the German officers thought - the Japanese would not be able to commit. Tomonagi's samurai sword was under the supervision of the commander, and they had no other weapon. But then one of the passengers noticed that Shoshi and Tomonaga were lying on their bunks and wheezing strangely. They accepted something - it means, all the same, suicide.to sail halfway across the world and, what good, to be brought to court like a pirate. When both Japanese realized that all their efforts were in vain, they said goodbye to the team members. Tomonaga also gave the submariners a wristwatch, which he bought in Switzerland. At first, no one understood this behavior. Suicide - so the German officers thought - the Japanese would not be able to commit. Tomonagi's samurai sword was under the supervision of the commander, and they had no other weapon. But then one of the passengers noticed that Shoshi and Tomonaga were lying on their bunks and wheezing strangely. They accepted something - it means, all the same, suicide.to sail halfway across the world and, what good, to be brought to court like a pirate. When both Japanese realized that all their efforts were in vain, they said goodbye to the team members. Tomonaga also gave the submariners a wristwatch, which he bought in Switzerland. At first, no one understood this behavior. Suicide - so the German officers thought - the Japanese would not be able to commit. Tomonagi's samurai sword was under the supervision of the commander, and they had no other weapon. But then one of the passengers noticed that Shoshi and Tomonaga were lying on their bunks and wheezing strangely. They accepted something - it means, all the same, suicide. At first, no one understood this behavior. Suicide - so the German officers thought - the Japanese would not be able to commit. Tomonagi's samurai sword was under the supervision of the commander, and they had no other weapon. But then one of the passengers noticed that Shoshi and Tomonaga were lying on their bunks and wheezing strangely. They accepted something - it means, all the same, suicide. At first, no one understood this behavior. Suicide - so the German officers thought - the Japanese would not be able to commit. Tomonagi's samurai sword was under the supervision of the commander, and they had no other weapon. But then one of the passengers noticed that Shoshi and Tomonaga were lying on their bunks and wheezing strangely. They accepted something - it means, all the same, suicide.
A farewell letter was found in their luggage, in which they asked to be allowed to die in peace and not to give their corpses to the Americans. The crew were shocked by the unyielding code of honor of both Japanese officers, who considered it unthinkable to be captured. They died from huge doses of sleeping pills - luminal, which they took on a long voyage just in case. Fehler fulfilled their last wish. On the night of May 14, the corpses were buried along with secret papers and a samurai sword Tomonagi in sea bags, in which they put additional weight for weight.
Surrender of U-234, foreground - crew "Sutton".
A little later, the American destroyer Sutton appeared and landed the prize team. "My God, how they are armed", - the senior assistant of the ship commander was surprised. With a submachine gun in one hand and a pistol in the other, with several ammunition straps around their necks, American sailors arrived on board. A thick iron chain was placed around the periscope and lowered down through the wheelhouse hatch so that it could no longer be battened down. The Americans absolutely wanted to prevent U-234's attempted escape. The team was forced to switch almost entirely to the Sutton, and General Kesler did not fail to appear on the bridge freshly shaven, in a ceremonial uniform, with a knight's cross around his neck.
Cargo investigation
A monocle glinted in his eye. “This annoys Americans the most,” he remarked with a smile. Only the senior mate and a few mechanics remained on board, who operated the boat under the guidance of the Americans.
Crew members of the German submarine U-234 are captured after arriving in Portsmouth.
On May 19, the boat docked in Portsmouth, Virginia. After the team was sent to the POW camp, the Americans carefully examined their loot. U-234 was a huge submarine. Not a single copy of this type of submarine has ever fallen into the hands of the Allies. The valuable cargo was gradually sent to land. Secret plans, blueprints, and equipment were taken from every nook and cranny. The most modern developments of the German aircraft industry have now fallen into the hands of the Americans: jet engines, radars, bomb sights, a pressurized cockpit, as well as blueprints for the manufacture of all modern German fighters and bombers. True, it later turned out that most of the equipment on board did not represent a secret for the Americans: in Germany, they even captured several flyable copies of the new Me-262. Their main interest was ten mysterious metal containers in the front mine shafts.
During interrogation, the loading officer, Lieutenant Karl Pfaff, drew the attention of the Americans to the fact that this cargo must be handled with extreme caution, and offered his assistance during unloading, which was immediately accepted. In the end, no one could know if the Germans had mined an explosive cargo and if the entire submarine would take off when the boxes were removed from the mines. The cargo was carefully removed and sent to the warehouse. What could have been assumed on the basis of the decryption of the radiograms was confirmed: in ten steel containers there were 560 kg of uranium oxide - a substance that could be used to make atomic bombs! Could Japan, with German help, have manufactured such a devastating weapon if the war had lasted a few more months? This substance was ordered by Dr. Mishina Yoisho, director of the Japanese atomic research program,since there was no uranium oxide in significant quantities in Japan. Back in 1943, Tokyo ordered a rare ore, however, without explaining what it was for. At first, it was vaguely said that it would be used as a catalyst in chemical reactions. Only when the Germans began to hesitate with the delivery, the real purpose of the application was named.
It is needed to study the production of isotopes and uranium enrichment. So the Japanese atomic bomb was being created? In fact, from such an amount of uranium oxide, about 3.5 kg of the isotope uranium-235 could be obtained, about one-fifth of the amount required to make an atomic bomb of the most primitive design. True, the only reactor in the world for producing isotopes was located in the United States. In the field of nuclear research, Japan was at the very beginning of the journey and very far from being able to at least theoretically develop an atomic bomb, let alone solve huge practical problems.
But what happened to German uranium in the US? After the war, rumors spread that it was used in the manufacture of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. And Karl Pfaff, who helped the Americans unload the submarine, remembered that Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the American atomic bomb, had appeared in Portsmouth. Apparently the American scientists were interested in the explosive.
John Lansdale, a former security chief for the Manhattan Project, said after the war that the explosive was delivered directly to the Oak Ridge, Tennessee nuclear plant. True, other sources say that as early as July 1945, uranium oxide was still in a warehouse in Brooklyn. In this case, there would not be enough time for enrichment to apply it in an atomic bomb.
Traces of the substance are lost in June 1945. Until today, no official documents have surfaced that could show exactly what happened to the uranium oxide from boat U-234.
Torpedo hit U-234 during a 1947 exercise.
After all the secrets surrounding the last flight of U-234, the submarine met an inglorious end: after careful testing on a November day in 1947, it was towed by the Americans to the coast of Massachusetts and sunk by a US Navy submarine as a training target. Most of the team members had returned home by this time. Only the fate of ten mysterious small steel containers of uranium oxide is still unknown.