German submarine U-862

History

Nazi Germany
Name:	U-862
Ordered:	5 June 1941
Builder:	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number:	1068
Laid down:	15 August 1942
Launched:	8 June 1943
Commissioned:	7 October 1943
Fate:	Taken over by Japan, 6 May 1945
Japan
Name:	I-502
Acquired:	6 May 1945
Commissioned:	15 July 1945
Fate:	Surrendered, August 1945 Scuttled, 13 February 1946
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type IXD2 submarine
Displacement:	1,610 t (1,580 long tons) surfaced 1,799 t (1,771 long tons) submerged
Length:	87.58 m (287 ft 4 in) o/a 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in) pressure hull
Beam:	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) o/a 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height:	10.20 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	5.40 m (17 ft 9 in)
Installed power:	9,000 PS (6,620 kW; 8,880 bhp) (diesels) 1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 shp) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) surfaced 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph) submerged
Range:	12,750 nmi (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 57 nmi (106 km; 66 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	230 m (750 ft)
Complement:	55 to 64
Armament:	6 × torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) 24 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes 1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 deck gun (150 rounds) anti-aircraft guns
Service record^[1]^[2]
Part of:	4th U-boat Flotilla 7 October 1943 – 30 April 1944 12th U-boat Flotilla 1 May – 30 September 1944 33rd U-boat Flotilla 1 October 1944 – 6 May 1945
Commanders:	K.Kapt. Heinrich Timm 7 October 1943 – 8 May 1945
Operations:	1st patrol: 3 June – 9 September 1944 2nd patrol: 18 November 1944 – 15 February 1945
Victories:	7 commercial ships sunk (42,374 GRT)

Axis naval attacks against Australia

German surface raiders Nauru HMAS Sydney–Kormoran Darwin Sydney Newcastle Port Gregory AHS Centaur Convoy GP55 Indian Ocean raid U-862

German submarine U-862 was a Type IXD2 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. After Germany's surrender in May 1945, U-862 put into Singapore and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name I-502.^[1]

U-862 was laid down on 15 August 1942 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser of Bremen. She was commissioned on 7 October 1943 with Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Timm in command. Timm commanded U-862 for her entire career in Kriegsmarine, receiving a promotion to Korvettenkapitän on 1 July 1944. U-862 conducted two patrols, sinking seven ships totalling 42,374 tons.^[1]

Design

German Type IXD2 submarines were considerably larger than the original Type IXs. U-862 had a displacement of 1,610 tonnes (1,580 long tons) when at the surface and 1,799 tonnes (1,771 long tons) while submerged.^[3] The U-boat had a total length of 87.58 m (287 ft 4 in), a pressure hull length of 68.50 m (224 ft 9 in), a beam of 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in), a height of 10.20 m (33 ft 6 in), and a draught of 5.35 m (17 ft 7 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines plus two MWM RS34.5S six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines for cruising, producing a total of 9,000 metric horsepower (6,620 kW; 8,880 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.85 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 200 metres (660 ft).^[3]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 6.9 knots (12.8 km/h; 7.9 mph).^[3] When submerged, the boat could operate for 121 nautical miles (224 km; 139 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,750 nautical miles (23,610 km; 14,670 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-862 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 24 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 150 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) with 2575 rounds as well as two 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns with 8100 rounds. The boat had a complement of fifty-five.^[3]

Service history

1st patrol

U-862 was one of the most travelled of all U-boats. She sailed from Germany in May 1944 and eventually reached Penang, in Japanese-controlled Malaya, in September 1944. Penang was the base for the 33rd U-boat Flotilla, code-named Monsun Gruppe ("Monsoon Group").

On the way there, she launched a T5/G7es Zaunkönig I acoustic homing torpedo at a tanker. The Zaunkönig came around full circle to home in on U-862. Only an emergency crash dive saved the U-boat from her own torpedo. She also shot down an Allied PBY Catalina aircraft H of RAF 265 squadron on 20 August 1944 and then escaped an intense search for her. She sank several merchant ships in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar.

2nd patrol

U-862 departed for her second war patrol from Batavia in the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies in December 1944. She sailed down the west coast of Australia, across the Great Australian Bight, around the southern coast of Tasmania and then north towards Sydney where she sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship Robert J. Walker on 25 December 1944. She then travelled around New Zealand and entered the port of Napier at night undetected.^[4] This has given birth to an urban legend in New Zealand, where it is said that the captain of U-862 sent sailors ashore at night to steal fresh milk from a farm. This may arise from a joke made by Captain Timm to Air Vice Marshal Sir Rochford Hughes in the late 1950s.^[5] U862's voyage to New Zealand was portrayed in a stage comedy U Boat Down Under which was written and directed by Peter Tait and performed at Downstage Theatre, Wellington from 27 July to 5 August 2006.^[6]

U-862 then returned to the Indian Ocean. On 6 February 1945, about 1,520 km (820 nm) south-west of Fremantle, U-862 sank the U.S.-registered Liberty ship, Peter Silvester, which was loaded with mules bound for Burma.

U-862 was also a trial boat for the FuMo 65 Hohentwiel radar system. This was cranked out of a casing on the port side of the conning tower and rose on a mast. The aerial was hand trained onto targets whilst the U-boat was on the surface. The radar had a range up to 7 nmi (13 km; 8.1 mi) and was very effective where there was little risk from air attack on the U-boat.

Transfer to Japan

When Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945, she put into Singapore and was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy.^[7]^:235 On 15 July 1945 she became the IJN submarine I-502. The I-502 surrendered at Singapore in August 1945 and was scuttled in the Strait of Malacca at 03°05′N 100°38′E / 3.083°N 100.633°E / 3.083; 100.633Coordinates: 03°05′N 100°38′E / 3.083°N 100.633°E / 3.083; 100.633 on 13 February 1946.^[1]

The German crew of U-862 suffered no casualties, and some returned to Germany several years after the war. Others who were interned at Kinmel Camp, Bodelwyddan, North Wales, remained in Wales and settled in the neighbouring communities of Rhyl, Rhuddlan and Prestatyn, due to the risks of returning to the Soviet occupied areas of Germany after the war. Two of the crew are buried at the new cemetery at Rhuddlan, North Wales, on nearby plots.

Summary raiding history

Date	Ship name	Nationality	Tonnage (GRT)	Position	Deaths	Cargo & passengers
25 July 1944	Robin Goodfellow	United States	6,885	20°03′S 14°21′W / 20.050°S 14.350°W / -20.050; -14.350	68 (no survivors)	8,602 tons of chrome ore
13 August 1944	Radbury	United Kingdom	3,614	24°20′S 41°45′E / 24.333°S 41.750°E / -24.333; 41.750	23	4–5,000 tons of coal
16 August 1944	Empire Lancer	United Kingdom	7,037	15°00′S 44°00′E / 15.000°S 44.000°E / -15.000; 44.000	42	2,000 tons of copper 1,000 tons of military stores
18 August 1944	Nairung	United Kingdom	5,414	15°00′S 42°00′E / 15.000°S 42.000°E / -15.000; 42.000	92 (no survivors)	General cargo, including ammunition
19 August 1944	Wayfarer	United Kingdom	5,068	14°30′S 42°20′E / 14.500°S 42.333°E / -14.500; 42.333	51	3,000 tons of copper 2,000 tons of coal
24 December 1944	Robert J. Walker	United States	7,180	36°35′S 150°43′E / 36.583°S 150.717°E / -36.583; 150.717	2	Ballast
6 February 1945	Peter Silvester	United States	7,176	34°19′S 99°37′E / 34.317°S 99.617°E / -34.317; 99.617	33	2,700 tons of US Army supplies 317 mules 107 soldiers

References

1 2 3 4 Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-862". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "War Patrols by German U-boat U-862". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
1 2 3 4 Gröner 1991, pp. 74–75.
↑ According to U-Boat Far from Home, U-862 entered Gisborne Port – not Napier
↑ Stevens, David (1997). U-Boat Far from Home. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-267-2.
↑ "New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews – Theatreview".
↑ Giese, O., 1994, Shooting the War, Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, ISBN 1557503079

Bibliography

Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German) IV (Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler). ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel (London: Conway Maritime Press). ISBN 0-85177-593-4.

External links

Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXD2 boat U-862". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

German Type IXD submarine

Type IXD1	U-180 U-195

Type IXD2	U-177 U-178 U-179 U-181 U-182 U-196 U-197 U-198 U-199 U-200 U-847 U-848 U-849 U-850 U-851 U-852 U-859 U-860 U-861 U-862 U-863 U-864 U-871 U-872 U-873 U-874 U-875 U-876

IXD/42	U-883 U-884

Preceded by: Type IXC Followed by: Type X

List of U-boats of Germany

German Type IX submarines

Type IXA	U-37 U-38 U-39 U-40 U-41 U-42 U-43 U-44

Type IXB	U-64 U-65 U-103 U-104 U-105 U-106 U-107 U-108 U-109 U-110 U-111 U-122 U-123 U-124

Type IXC	U-66 U-67 U-68 U-125 U-126 U-127 U-128 U-129 U-130 U-131 U-153 U-154 U-155 U-156 U-157 U-158 U-159 U-160 U-161 U-162 U-163 U-164 U-165 U-166 U-171 U-172 U-173 U-174 U-175 U-176 U-501 U-502 U-503 U-504 U-505 U-506 U-507 U-508 U-509 U-510 U-511 U-512 U-513 U-514 U-515 U-516 U-517 U-518 U-519 U-520 U-521 U-522 U-523 U-524

Type IXC/40	U-167 U-168 U-169 U-170 U-183 U-184 U-185 U-186 U-187 U-188 U-189 U-190 U-191 U-192 U-193 U-194 U-525 U-526 U-527 U-528 U-529 U-530 U-531 U-532 U-533 U-534 U-535 U-536 U-537 U-538 U-539 U-540 U-541 U-542 U-543 U-544 U-545 U-546 U-547 U-548 U-549 U-550 U-801 U-802 U-803 U-804 U-805 U-806 U-841 U-842 U-843 U-844 U-845 U-846 U-853 U-854 U-855 U-856 U-857 U-858 U-865 U-866 U-867 U-868 U-869 U-870 U-877 U-878 U-879 U-880 U-881 U-889 U-1221 U-1222 U-1223 U-1224 U-1225 U-1226 U-1227 U-1228 U-1229 U-1230 U-1231 U-1232 U-1233 U-1234 U-1235

Type IXD	U-177 U-178 U-179 U-180 U-181 U-182 U-195 U-196 U-197 U-198 U-199 U-200 U-847 U-848 U-849 U-850 U-851 U-852 U-859 U-860 U-861 U-862 U-863 U-864 U-871 U-872 U-873 U-874 U-875 U-876

Preceded by: Type VII Followed by: Type X List of U-boats of Germany

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