Text 28582, 64 rader
Skriven 2006-05-02 13:15:48 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
     Kommentar till en text av Paul Quinn
Ärende: Re: WWII revisited
==========================
Paul,
 
> That link I quoted (bugger, it's gone now) ...
 
       http://www.uboataces.com/uboat-type-xxi.shtml
 
There is another excellent link which I consider the ultimate authority on
uboat stuff:
 
       http://www.uboat.net
 
> ... did you know that
> Germany attempted to transport complete Me-262 jet fighters (dismantled,
> with spare turbines) and dismantled V2 rockets... via submarine in the
> latter months of the war, to Japan.  =:)
 
Boy, do you trail behind the rest of us. That particular shipment surfaced
somewhere in the North Atlantic when Germany surrendered and they surrendered
to an American vessel which had aboard a very young Warren Bonner who in his
later life would become a sysop and editor of Fidonews. ;-)
 
I visited him in his house in Orange California, just east of LA, and I'm going
back there this July. His house is a mini-shrine to the good work the USCG did
and he has the full-story available for anyone willing to listen. Incl. the
Japanese officers who were aboard and committed suicide rather than
surrendering to Americans, incl the shipment of Uranium and technology to allow
Japan to build a nuclear weapon. Warren eventually wrote a book about his
service and the survivors of the crew that captured that U-boat still meet
every year.
 
It is unclear what happened to the cargo. The Me-262 apparently was used for
testing-purposes and rumour has it that someone from Los Alamos was waiting at
the dock to immediately take reception of the Uranium once the convoy enterred
port and had the Uranium trucked-off to a specified facility for further
refining and use as a part of the fission-material that eventually would be
dropped on Japan. Until this day there has not been a confirmation nor a denial
of this, but it would be a cute detail ... German uranium dropped on Japan.
 
> Not just the subs.  In practically every aspect of military science and
> technology, and application.  How often have you heard, "too few, too
> late" mentioned in German military biographies?  Luckily for us the nazi
> hierarchy was sick and twisted enough to 'go off the rails' right to the
> end.
 
Well, having read some more ... the US 8th Air Force needs being credited with
the bombardments which kept the dozens of finished type XXI's sufficiently
damaged and in port for the last 6-8 months of the war for preventing them to
actively take part in the fighting.
 
As for the Me-262 ... it was there in time, and in sufficient numbers. But the
Austrian Corporal had this thing about bombing London that he had as good as
all of them converted to a bomber to attack London with a minimal payload.
True, they flew higher and faster than any Allied plane but with 2 250lbs bombs
only while on the continent, as a fighter, they could've held a turkey-shoot
among the Allied bombers.
 
These Germans still make excellent cars though ... ;-)
 
Take care,
 
 \%/@rd

--- D'Bridge 2.41
 * Origin: "Leonard will be free" - http://www.leonardpeltier.org (2:292/854)